Wooden Shoe Workshop ‘De Zaanse Schans’
Explore the history of clogs (wooden shoes) and the way they are made… then go and try some on for size!
Warehouse ‘De Vrede’, a beautiful three-bay 18th-century building, was once used to store Molenaar’s Kindermeel (a rice cereal for infants, with the slogan ‘who didn’t grow up with it?’). Fifty years ago, this mill barn became home to an extraordinary clog factory with a clog museum and shop. Each day, you can watch as the clog-makers demonstrate their craft by transforming a block of wood into a wooden shoe!
The Clog Museum displays one of the finest collections of antique wooden shoes in the Netherlands. The collection is full of unique specimens, such as beautiful bridal clogs, work clogs and the famous church clogs from Hindeloopen, dating all the way back to 1675. There are also roller-skating clogs, clog skates and ice clogs, which people wore when they went out onto the ice. The crowning glory of the collection, however, is the extraordinary ‘diamond clog’ – a clog encrusted with thousands of glittering Swarovski crystals.
The clog, made entirely from wood, is an authentically Dutch tradition that survives to this day, with these shoes still being worn in rural areas. As well as being warm and healthy for the feet, the iconic wooden shoes are essential for getting about on the swampy Dutch soil. Wooden shoes have their origin more than a thousand years ago, and this clog factory is keeping the world-famous footwear alive and well today! Come and admire the professional expertise, history and rich variety of wooden shoes, a unique experience for all ages. Admission is free!
The largest clog shop in the Netherlands is not only home to wooden shoes of all types, colors and sizes, it also offers a dazzling array of miniature clogs, clog slippers, key rings and money boxes. There is also a wide selection of original Dutch souvenirs available for enthusiasts.