Sensible about your feet

As the weather worsens we need to think about how we keep our feet warm and dry. Clogs were the footwear of the working men and women. Practical and almost indestructible, their wooden soles, usually made of alder wood, were both protection and insulation. Clogs and shawls will forever be associated with women mill workers. Agricultural labourers also wore clogs. Some were shod with iron, raising sparks as they struck stone pavements. Others have rubber soles,and were slightly more comfortable to wear. Nowadays they are worn for clog dancing, and decorative patterns, bells and bright colours adorn them. There are still clog factories in West Yorkshire, notably in Calderdale. They have become fashion items in recent decades. When I was younger I lived in Todmorden. Mr Pinnington made clogs to order in his tiny shed of a workshop next to the bus station. I had a couple of pairs made. My black lace up ones were passed on to a friend who was studying to be a gardener. Perfect for outside work in the cold. I still have my fancy red ones, rarely worn but often admired. I had friends in Holland who ordered Lancashire clogs from Mr Pinnington by sending a drawing of the outline of their feet. Talk about coals to Newcastle! Travelling back to Todmorden from Manchester on the train, wearing my clogs, an elderly lady commented "Ee, you are sensible about your feet". Sadly Mr Pinnington's shed was demolished by a bus one day. Luckily he wasn't in it at the time, but he took it as a sign to retire. You can see traditional clogs, with irons on the soles in the Museum's collection. The red ones are my own 'dancing' clogs.