Dansko Clogs
January 9, 2012
If you are an Alaskan woman (or a nurse or a flight attendant. Or a gay man. Or a Scandinavian) who spends any time in one of the “bigger” towns here, chance are that you and all of your friends already wear Dansko clogs. They are one of those Alaska staples, like Carhartts and X-tra Tufs. I wore my own to nubs so Dansko sent me some new ones to try.
I’ve been wearing the Professional Clogs for years. They are the basic clog of the line, and you see them on nurses and Alaska Airlines flight attendants regularly. Honestly, if you are a flight attendant and you’re not wearing comfortable shoes…I don’t know how you do it. They are my favorites of the line (I like simple and basic, I admit) and the latest iteration hasn’t changed much. The thing I like about the Pro Clog is that the base is nice and wide so you’re not teetering around (not that you’ll ever teeter in clogs, unless you’re doing it wrong). The Pro comes in all kinds of colors, from the basic to the crazy, so you’re sure to find something that strikes your fancy. I’ve always wanted snakeskin, myself, or is that officially “trying too hard?” The Pro can successfully pair with business-y attire if you’ve an eye for that kind of thing; it’s nice in the winter to have reasonably sensible shoes when hiking urban streets to go to work. You do see people wearing these with dresses and skirts, to which I say…eh…to each her own. Think Lisa from Six Feet Under.
Because I’m stuck in my ways, I would have been happy with a pair of Pro Clogs in each the basic colors. Dansko wanted to highlight other styles, though, so I was forced out of my rut with the Stacie. Yes, it looks almost the same, with a little extra stitching and styling. I found that this shoe is a little daintier and narrower than the Pro Clog which really can’t hurt. They have a little less of that obvious clog look which is nice, and I have no trouble pairing these with slacks or dress pants. The foot hole (I don’t know…? the place in which you slip your foot? Someone help me here) is smaller than the pro clog and the shoe stays put a little better; no slippage. I wore these today for one of my very rare dressy office days and I loved them. Super comfortable, nice cushy insole. I think they’re a tad more comfortable than the Pro Clog.
The base of support is a little narrower, conceivably making it easier to slip – my one complaint about clogs is the thick sole; if you slip you can do some serious ankle damage, so I caution against wearing them on ice. The thick sole makes it dangerous to slip but it does make for convenience when walking through a few inches of snow. Your jeans hem might get wet but your socks have a chance of staying dry.
If the snow is any deeper than that, you might want to go with the Stormy. It’s an ankle boot on the same clog platform as the Stacie. The upper is lined with shearling and folds down if you want a different look. I have the black but I think it’s cuter in brown because it has a lighter shearling so there’s some appealing contrast there. I like the nice warm shearling, but the bummer is that it’s not extended to inside the clog part (which makes sense, but would still be super cozy until it wore out). I can’t quite pull these off with a dress but I bet some of you fashionistas can.
So there you have it. How to dress like an Alaskan, and how to dress like a slightly more fashionable Alaskan. Don’t get me wrong. I love the Pro Clogs for ever and ever. They’re just not too original up here where people wear comfortable shoes, though since I’ve seen more stilettos on the streets of Anchorage lately, you never know. Which reminds me; another major benefit of clogs is that they make you look taller without looking like you’re trying to look taller. Tom Cruise, clue in.
