Sole sisters with long history…

AncientChinese books record that in the third century, the leader of aVietnamese resistance movement, Ba Trieu wore a pair of ivory clogs.However, up until the Tran Dynasty (1225-1400AD), most Vietnamesepeople went barefoot and clogs were not unknown. Another popular legendtells of a pair of stone clogs passed down for generations by a familyin Cao Bang, high in Vietnam's northern mountains.

In south-central Vietnam, people generally made their own clogs. Theyfavoured thick soles with slightly turned-up tips. The traps, whichattached through a hole in the front and a pair of holes on the sides,were braided from soft cloth. Because the sole was curved at the front,the knot of the front strap did not rub on the ground. The soles ofwomen's clogs were shaped like hour-glasses, while men's clogs -knownas "sampan clogs" - had straight soles. Made of white wood, Phu Yenclogs were left unpainted, while those from the central city of Huewere often painted in black and brown with a pale coloured triangle onthe side of the sole. Only well-to-do men wore painted clogs. Someareas called clogs don, hence the saying "a foot with a shoe, a footwith a don" to indicate rich people who put on airs.

Upuntil the 1940s, young pupils at public schools in the southernprovince of Ben Tre began wearing clogs. Before the August Revolutionin 1945, clogs produced in Hue were called "capital clogs" or guockinh. These clogs had soles made from coconut shells or light wood,painted white and gold with embroidered straps.

Inthe 1950s and 1960s, wooden clogs produced in Dong Do village in theThanh Tri district of Hanoi and Ke Giay in Ha Tay province were takento 12 Hang Ga street or Bach Mai street in Hanoi to be painted andsold. Poet To Huu revealed that clogs were considered extremelyromantic by young girls of the time:

                                                     “Clogs long unheard
                                                      On the tree-lined streets
                                                      And spring comes, apples fall,
                                                      I remember your zither sounds”

Bythe 1970s, plastic clogs rivaled wooden clogs in popularity. Consideredstylish and comfortable, clogs could offer other, more unusual,benefits. Travelers would sometimes bore holes in the wooden soles tohide gold or jewels.

FromBa Trieu's ivory clogs to clogs made of bamboo, wood and plastic, thishumble footwear has covered a lot of ground on Vietnam. While countlessVietnamese poets have waxed lyrical about the conical hat andtraditional ao dai tunic, clogs are often the subject of riddles: “Twofemales in colored dresses. Each carrying five males on their backs. Onthe way, talk and chat. And left alone at home: fed up! What is this?”.Naturally, the riddles refer to a pair of clogs:

“Two parallel and loving boats
With dragon bows and phoenix sterns
Double rows of nails
I carry five boy-lovers per boat
And ten per pair.
But, let you be reproved, you ingrate!
Profiting from me, and forgetting me
What am I?”