I want new non-Dansko Danskos

November 25, 2008 9:52 PM

After years of being an enthusiastic Dansko fan, I now am seeking a similar clog from someone other than Dansko.

I bought a pair of brown oiled leather clogs about seven years ago. I wore them into the ground and they still look great. I also bought a pair of black and loved them just as much. When both pairs hit the 6 year mark, the sole split all the way through. Considering the beating I put them through, I was a VERY satisfied customer and decided to buy again.

This is where things went wrong. I bought the same sizes and styles. This time around, the black pair is so tight across the top of my foot that I can only wear them for short periods of time. If I walk to work in them, my foot falls asleep before I get there! The brown pair fit a bit better but they are pretty much unwearable. When my sock rubs against them they squeak... really badly. I work in a library/museum so you can hear me coming in my farty shoes. They are so bad that just shifting my weight causes this horrid noise. Also, they look crappy after only three months of wear with a thin coating of gloss worn off over sides and the toe gone almost white. My seven year old shoes look better.

I love the way Dansko clogs work with my clothes. All of my pants are hemmed to accommodate the heel. Obviously, Dansko doesn't make shoes the way they used to. Are there similar clogs that I would like more? I want a similar heel and a similar boxy toe. I have tried Noat and didn't like the way they looked.

posted by Foam Pants to clothing, beauty, & fashion (17 comments total)

I bought some Ana-Tech clogs for my library job and thought they were pretty great. They call this model the "danish" model which I think means "looks like Dansko" They're not the cheapest clogs but they're not terribly spendy and mine lasted a long time. They're US-made too which I always think is sort of nifty.
posted by jessamyn at 10:01 PM on November 25, 2008

I've had a pair of Troentorp (sometimes known as Båstad) clogs for the past half year. Unlike Dansko, I think, they're wooden clogs (as in, you'll be standing on wood with a plastic bottom.) They're also the most comfortable shoes I've got, and I work in a lab, so I spend a fair amount of time on my feet. I'd definitely see if you can find any local clog-selling stores, though, so that you can try them on first: if you're hoping to get a clog that'll last you another 6 years, it's worth it to go out of your way!
posted by ubersturm at 10:18 PM on November 25, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

I was also a Dansko wearer and I totally agree about the Troentorp. I've been wearing mine for almost 5 years pretty regularly. I stand on my feet all day, too. They are so comfortable and the color, navy blue, barely shows a scuff.
posted by krikany at 10:23 PM on November 25, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Holy crap, there is a steel toe version. A shoe I can where to my library job, my cooking job, and do home improvement in. I may be in love.
posted by Foam Pants at 10:41 PM on November 25, 2008

That would be WEAR. I was so excited over the badass nature of the clog I found that I forgot my Englishez.
posted by Foam Pants at 10:44 PM on November 25, 2008

I hate to bother a woman in love but the reason your new Dansko clogs don't work is because Sanita no longer makes them. I just bought a pair of mary janes from a local seller but you can find them online too.
posted by melissa may at 10:50 PM on November 25, 2008

As in, right from the same page I linked. Duh.
posted by melissa may at 10:55 PM on November 25, 2008

Since you already own the leather Dansko's, do you know about Liquid Shoe Stretch? It could help solve the problem. I realize that you're really into the steel-toed new thing, but everyone should know about Shoe Stretch.
posted by amtho at 11:52 PM on November 25, 2008 [2 favorites has favorites]

That shoe stretch sounds good. I was all, mama like. Then I saw they don't ship to Alaska. Those bitches! Perhaps I will send two bottles to mom and dad for Christmas.
posted by Foam Pants at 12:06 AM on November 26, 2008

Ubersturm, can you say anything about sizing on the Troentorps? If you're a half-size, you should order one size up, correct? Thanks for the suggestion. These look promising.
posted by MonkeyToes at 5:01 AM on November 26, 2008

Depends a little on your feet - I got mine a half size up, but I think it would depend a little on how high your arch is (and how tight you like the clog across the top of your foot.) Sorry I can't be of more help! My feet are slightly different sizes, so I try everything on first...
posted by ubersturm at 6:24 AM on November 26, 2008

AAAAHHHH! Thank you for the "shoe stretch" link. I used to swear by the stuff (I have weird toes) but it has disappeared from stores.
posted by JoanArkham at 6:54 AM on November 26, 2008

Chiming in to agree that the Danskos have gone to hell in a handbasket and it is also breaking my heart. I just had to return a pair that I bought from Zappos - same size, everything, as every other pair of Danskos I've had for ten years, but they didn't fit at all, plus, the pair from two years ago is already shot - and I've been desperately searching for a replacement.

I've tried Arias - they're comfortable but somehow, they look weird. At least to me, YMMV. The most comfortable clogs I've found other than Dansko have been the Harley Davidson ones, though. Yeah, yeah, I know, whatever, some of them don't have the logo hugely scrawled all over and they're amazingly comfortable and wear like iron. I'm into year three of my Harley ankle boots and they're still in great shape - and I am really tough on shoes.
posted by mygothlaundry at 6:58 AM on November 26, 2008

LLBean makes some pretty comfortable clogs. I haven't tried the newer models, but my last pair still looks pretty good after at least 5 years. Their quality guarantee is for real; if you end up not liking the clogs, they'll take them back with no hassle.
posted by theora55 at 8:11 AM on November 26, 2008

For the record, the reason Sanita no longer makes the soles is because Dansko never bought the patent or something like that, so Sanita said fuck it, we'll just make the clogs ourselves. I reluctantly bought a pair of Sanitas in January after I finally killed my 7 year old Danskos. The Sanitas are indistinguishable from the Danskos my feet were so used to.
posted by 8dot3 at 8:36 AM on November 26, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

keep in mind that your foot size can change over a 6 year period. so the sizing may not be them, actually.

on the wear, however, i hear you.
posted by micawber at 9:25 AM on November 26, 2008

The other issue with Danskos is that because they're hand-stapled, the sizing is completely wonky. I had a pair of Professionals in a 41, purchased in 2003, and the next pair I bought of that style (online, last year) was huge. So I bought a 40 online, and they were tiny, despite the fact that my sandal 40s were perfect. I finally bought a pair of 41s in person, and they were much better, though the arch on the right one is a little low (I didn't have this problem with my original pair). I don't know if they have always been this variable, but it sure seems like it's gotten worse.

I have had something like 5 or 6 pairs, and this last pair is the best-fitting one I've had since I bought the sandals four summers ago. I did notice, however, that the banding around the top edge is not actually leather, and that bums me out. I'll have to go with Sanitas next time.
posted by Madamina at 1:43 PM on November 26, 2008