Wooden shoes and clogs

Wooden shoes are footwear made wholly or partly from wood. The Norwegian term tresko can refer to a shoe carved and hollowed from a single block, or to footwear combining a wooden sole with leather, fabric, plastic or another upper material. Describe the construction as well as the name.

Working footwear and different types

Hollowed wooden shoes have a long tradition as working footwear among European farmers. The term nevertheless covers more than this form. A wooden sole with an attached upper and a one-piece wooden shoe should not automatically be treated as the same manufacturing type or assigned the same date.

Buying and recording

Photograph the sole, interior and any upper attachments. Record dimensions, marks, wear, cracks and whether the shoes form a matching pair. Distinguish a documented maker or place of use from assumptions based on shape. A decorative or painted pair should not automatically be described as old working footwear; seek provenance and specific production and use information.

Sources: Språkrådet og Universitetet i Bergen, Tresko; Store norske leksikon, Tresko.