Want to buy a pair of Swedish Hasbeens clogs? Read our guide for more info on what goes into making these special shoes from Sweden…
Like the author Mark Twain said about the news of his demise “The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” In a similar way the opinion rendered about the demise of the clog as a viable fashion option in footwear was greatly exaggerated as well.
The legend of the clog revival reads as follows:
“Her name was Anita and she was the hottest mum in all of southern Sweden in the 1970’s. While smoking Camel she screamed at her kids until her curlers fell out and just looked fabulous in her white high-heeled clogs.”
One summer day in 2006 the current vendors of Hasbeens found the shoes she wore (300 pairs of red, white and black beautiful clogs from the 70’s) in the basement of an old clog factory in the neighboring village and brought them to Stockholm.
The rest is allegedly history, but the clog itself is far from being an historical artifact. Although 70’s history has definitely not been overlooked in the current clog revival,
the Hashbeen people assure their customers that 70’s authenticity has not been sacrificed for the sake of commercial gain. Hasbeens toffels, bags and belts are based on original 70’s models, they say.
Although concern for the environment has been incorporated into thousands of corporate mantra nowadays it is easy enough to ignore or forget that the 70’s were the decade when Earth Days first appeared – right at the beginning of the decade, in fact about the same time as the clogs now known as Hasbeens. In the 70’s they may have been called “far out.”
It is in this spirit that we are informed that the current crop of Hasbeen products is made with “ecologically prepared natural grain leather” “with respect for people and the environment” and that this sort of thing has been going on more or less “in the same small Swedish factory since the 1970′s.”
Hasbeen fans can hope that the choice of Hasbeens as the trend of the year in Sweden at the annual Trend Award Gala 2008 in Stockholm won’t go to anyone’s head space that’s involved in making the product and that no corners will be cut, no animals will be unnecessarily harmed and that Hasbeens will continue to be the same comfortable and lovable footwear they have always been as their popularity has waxed and waned like the moon over the last few decades.
In the spirit of the 70’s there are limits to growth. Apparently they haven’t been reached yet by this venerable shoe. During 2009 Swedish Hasbeens have become one of Sweden’s fastest growing fashion brands and now sell in 15 countries.
