Wooden shoe
Wooden shoe as a generic term describes all types of shoes that are made entirely of wood .
Form and definition
In the technical and technical sense of the shoe (note the restrictions below ), wooden shoe refers to the traditional wooden shoe that is made entirely or predominantly of (pure) wood and largely encloses the foot like a shoe (in the heel area with a raised wooden sole). Usually such a wooden shoe is made from a single piece of wood. Other shoe models, most of which have a proportion of wood that is limited to the bottom of the shoe ( clogs , wooden sandals and botts), are not wooden shoes , but are called wooden sole shoes .
Wooden sole shoe
The following common or well-known shoe models are among the wooden sole shoes:
- Gymnastiksandale (shoe with wooden sole, which is held only by a cross strap on the foot. The foot is loose in the shoe and can always slide out)
- Wooden sandals or wooden sandals (shoe with a wooden sole that is held on the foot by one or more straps)
- Clog (slipper-like shoe with a wooden sole; the heel can also have a heel strap)
- Wooden boots ( boots with wooden soles)
Historically, the can rib than wood are addressed shoe (above). It was a wooden sole with leather straps that was worn under the actual leather shoes in the Middle Ages to protect against dirt.
Regional diversity of terms and overlaps
Wooden or wooden sole shoes have different names depending on their area of origin and in some regional definitions there is no clear distinction between wooden and wooden sole shoes. Sabots (France; compare also sabotage ) is synonymous with Klompen (Netherlands). In Alsace they are called Zogelli , Zoggeli in Switzerland, derived from the Italian word Zoccoli . In Schleswig-Holstein, wooden sole shoes are generally referred to as wooden shoes or blocks . When they come from Denmark, wooden slippers are also called clogs , in northern Germany they are called wooden slippers , in Low German they are also called clogs , and if they have a well-made footbed, they are called Swedish slippers . In East Friesland the traditional wooden shoes are called holsken (singular: holske ) or klumpen (singular: kluemp ). The latter term is also used in the western Münsterland (singular here: Klump or Klumpe ), in the Rhineland Klompen (plural).
Material and manufacture
Suitable for the production of traditional, closed wooden shoes are soft woods . Today, poplar wood is used almost exclusively in Germany and the Netherlands . Maple wood is rarely used. Historically, more expensive willow and alder wood were also used .
A traditional wooden shoe is made from a single block of wood. In manual production, the outer shape of the shoe is first roughly carved, then finely worked. Finally, its interior is hollowed out with special tools. Finally, the surface of the shoe is polished and, if necessary, carved or painted in color. Machine production is similar, but the shape of a shoe can be copied as often as required using a template.
Their production is relatively inexpensive and can now be reduced to a minimum through the use of automatic woodworking machines. In fact, even today those shoes that are made for actual use are partially or fully handcrafted. Wooden shoes for souvenir or decorative purposes are now almost exclusively made by machine, since traditional specialist knowledge is not necessary, especially for the inner shape. These are usually not suitable for actual everyday use, even if they seem to fit the foot. The quality of the shoe is only evident when it is used.
How to wear, advantages and disadvantages
Wooden shoes offer a number of advantages, but also disadvantages that have led to their being replaced by leather- and plastic-based shoes.
First of all, they have a high level of security against sharp soil components such as thorns, branches and stones and ensure long-lasting protection against moisture; both encompass the entire foot, in contrast to steel toe work shoes, which only offer protection in the toe area. They can therefore also be used for powerful pedaling in all directions. They are also comparatively light, even with thick walls. Shoes that are soaked after long use in the wet become heavier, but show hardly any signs of fatigue after drying.
From a physiological point of view, they are considered to be healthy because they stimulate the foot and calf to constant additional muscle movements caused by grasping activities of the feet while walking inside the rigid shoe. However, like any muscle training, these movements require additional effort, which is felt to be strenuous, especially at the beginning of wearing wooden shoes or when used only occasionally due to a lack of intuitive experience. The movements are also individual and are learned by each wearer in their own way. Occasional use is therefore perceived as exhausting. If wooden shoes are worn often and for years, this is not perceived as a disadvantage. However clogs is also causing deformities such because of their hard sole lowering or flat feet attributed. The use of soft insoles or insoles is difficult due to the sturdy use of these rigid shoes, their arched inner shape and the large freedom of movement of the feet in the shoe. It is generally assumed that the foot gets used to the shoe over the years of use, since the shoe, unlike leather and plastic products, cannot adapt to the foot. However, the wearing properties also depend very much on the experience of the craftsman who makes a shoe. Millimeter-by-millimeter milled or recessed layers in the wood are already clearly noticeable on the wearer.
Especially in the classic Dutch wooden shoes are made entirely of wood and Spann are closed, occur when running on leverage forces that the instep in rolling pressing step against the wood. These are strongest when running uphill and can be reduced by getting used to and learning more favorable running styles. However, they never go away. The wooden shoes worn in Scandinavia circumvent the problem of leverage in the instep with leather applications in the relevant areas and are therefore also suitable for inexperienced wearers or for less frequent use. In the case of compact shoes, only routine wear leads to learning the most favorable gait, so that use is no longer consciously perceived as exhausting. But the training of the muscles is also continued.
Typically, wooden shoes are worn with thick stockings even in summer. However, the susceptibility to athlete's foot and sweat is estimated to be significantly reduced. Since the foot sits very loosely in the shoe, there is good ventilation. In contrast to leather shoes, wooden shoes can also be cleaned with strong detergents and, more recently, also poured out with alcohol , which can reliably prevent foot odor. While a layered shoe made of mixed materials such as leather, fabrics and plastics always has enough microorganisms to survive a treatment with sprayed care products to re-create the foot odor when you use it again, rinsing a wooden shoe with alcohol can completely eliminate the problem. The shoe is returned to its original biological state, but is a bit rougher on the inside afterwards, although it quickly rubs smoothly again. Outdoor maintenance, on the other hand, is rarely required, but is advocated by a variety of means depending on your opinion. In principle, every wood care product and also oily impregnation is suitable. Many shoes are lacquered, mostly red or earth-colored, whereby the everyday shoes are more economical or not decorated at all. In the Netherlands, undecorated shoes dominate in use, and over time they become greasy and dark on the outside or show signs of use. In the Netherlands, this sturdy footwear is still widely used as an everyday item, especially in rural areas. Wooden shoes are extremely durable and require little maintenance; they usually only need to be stored in a dry place. However, they cannot be repaired either and must be replaced when they finally show signs of decay or crack.
Netherlands
The most popularly known form of a wooden shoe is that of the Dutch Klomp (Mz .: Klompen), which is often brought back from trips as a souvenir. But every region in the Netherlands has its own shoe shape, sometimes round, sometimes pointed, some shoes also semi-open, with leather straps over the instep. The latter are called tripclomps . They are also found in neighboring Flanders .
France and other countries
In some regions of France , especially in the north ( Flanders ), west ( Brittany ) and east ( Alsace ), wooden shoes were or are worn. They call themselves sabot . In the United Kingdom of Great Britain the wooden shoes are called clogs . In the north of Spain, clogs are traditionally used, called zuecos . But wooden shoes are also common in Asia.
Germany
In Germany, wooden shoes were and are mainly widespread in the northern half, especially from North Rhine-Westphalia to the Danish border. It was here that wooden shoemaking developed into a craft and was also carried out industrially. In Westphalia the wooden shoes are called Holsken or Holschen . On the Lower Rhine they are called, as in Dutch, Klompen and in the Ruhr area also Klotzschen . The oldest known illustration of wooden shoes can be seen on an altarpiece from the 15th century by Derick Baegert in the Dortmund Propsteikirche .
Münsterland wood lumps and Westphalian holschen have a leather trim in the form of a continuous cap over the instep, called Liär (westf.-ndt .: leather). On the Lower Rhine and in the Eifel , the final leather is made as a ribbon. Dutch shoe shapes are also quite common on the Dutch border. The wooden shoes on the Rur in the Lower Rhine region are half-open, have a pronounced blunt nose and a leather strap across the instep. So they correspond to a form of the Dutch tripklompen. In the area of the Danish border, wooden shoes with studs under the soles were made for a long time .
Until the 1950s, wooden shoes were mainly worn in agriculture and for certain jobs such as peat cutting. In dike construction in the Netherlands they are still used today as optimal safety shoes. In Westphalia , Holschen are still worn when gardening today. Clogs were in metallurgy and foundries for work clothes , but were increasingly replaced by steel toe shoes. In addition, wooden shoes are still used as standard footwear by many traditional costume groups and carnival clubs.
Horse clogs
Up into the 19th century, wooden shoes for horses ("horse sticks") were also widespread in the north German lowlands, which were supposed to prevent the hooves from sinking into the muddy ground. They had the shape of wide soles that were strapped to the horse's foot with leather straps, ended straight at the back and semicircular at the front, and had a raised edge at the sides and front; so the hoof was given support in the horse's wooden shoe.
regional customs
Wooden shoes had and still have functions in customs in some regions: there is evidence that in 1890 the Pentecostal bride in the Westphalian town of Herne wore a pair of particularly beautiful wooden shoes. After midnight, the bride and groom's wooden shoe dance followed.
Every five years a traditional wooden shoe race takes place in Stutensee-Staffort in Baden .
In Neukirchen-Vluyn on the left Lower Rhine in the district of Vluyn, the traditional Klompenball takes place every year on the Monday after Whitsun. During this festival a Klompenkönig is appointed, who then takes over the "regency" until the next Klompenball in the following year.
Museums
The Eelde International Clog Museum in Eelde ( Netherlands ) is a museum for clogs, clog-making tools and clog machines. It has the largest collection of wooden footwear in the world.
In the LWL open-air museum Hagen - Westphalian State Museum for Crafts and Technology , a complete workshop of a wooden shoemaker has been set up. The traditional craft production is demonstrated.
The Hamaland Museum (Borken District Museum) in Vreden, near the border with the Netherlands, shows the tools needed to make wooden shoes. Photographs show insights into different workshops.
The Preetz Wooden Shoe Museum was opened in Preetz on May 18, 2008 . In addition to the manufacturing process, the history of the Preetz wooden shoes is also presented here.
In Steinau (Lower Saxony) , the history and manufacture of clogs in the Hadeln region is also shown in the "Holzschuhmacherhaus" .
music
In the opera Zar und Zimmermann by Albert Lortzing there is the wooden shoe dance. The wooden shoe dance from the ballet La fille mal gardée is also very popular.
literature
- Bernhard Büld: clogs and clog-making in western Münsterland. A contribution to the history and folklore of Westphalian handicrafts. Dissertation of the author, Heimatverein Vreden, Vreden 1980
- Michael Dauskardt [Hrsg.]: Museum guide / Westphalian open-air museum Hagen, state museum for craft and technology . 1990, ISBN 3-926190-03-5
- Tet De Boer-Olij: European Wooden Shoes. Their History and Diversity. 2002, ISBN 90-90-15447-7
Web links
- Dutch Klompen Museum in Eelde (near Groningen )
- small museum in the wooden shoemaker village Enter (Gem. Wierden near Almelo )
- Historical photographs of wooden shoemakers and the practice of the craft
- Wooden shoe race in Stutensee-Staffort
- Workshop and tools for making wooden shoes (Museum Nastätten)
- Klompenfreunde - traditional association in Neukirchen-Vluyn
- Wooden shoemaking in the image archive of the LWL media center for Westphalia
Individual evidence
- ↑ Ōstfräisk. Wōrdenbauk fan däi ōstfräiske tóól.
- ^ Sascha Sturm: Klompen, Holsken, Trippenmaker . In: Karfunkel - Zeitschrift für Erlebbaren Geschichte, 2004, 54: pp. 87–90, ISSN 0944-2677
- ↑ Example: The members of the Niederkassel barrel guard regularly wear wooden shoes at their events and meetings. ( http://www.tonnengarde-niederkassel.de/ )
- ↑ Designation according to Johann Focke in the museum documentation for the specimen Inv. L.0001 of the Focke-Museum Bremen.
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↑ Helmut Ottenjann : Oldest picture of the rural working world of the Oldenburger Münsterland , in: Yearbook for the Oldenburger Münsterland, 2004, p. 94–95 and Fig. 4;
Stefan Prinz: Horses pulled plow on shoes through the moor , in: Osnabrücker Zeitung, June 25, 2012, digital