Clog 木屐
木屐踩过的岁月
距今半个世纪之前，人民生活穷苦，很少人买得起皮拖鞋、串珠拖鞋和绣花拖鞋。那时，廉价树胶拖鞋还未产生，普罗大众一般只能穿用便宜的木屐走路；即使穿着木屐上门探访亲友，也不是件失礼的事。当时，有钱人家不穿木屐上街，但在家里下厨、如厕或洗澡时，也喜欢穿木屐。
大的木屐店都设有工场，雇有十个八个员工。主要是钉屐的头手和助手，以及制屐师傅和学徒。头手大多是潮州人或福建人。
木屐有男女两种不同形式。圆头圆尾的男人屐，呆板单调，缺少变化，比不上女装木屐线条优美。最多人买的是价钱便宜的红漆红皮木屐。若要更省钱，则购买钉上车外轮胎做的粗糙屐皮的原木屐。
1941年底，牛车水庙仔街（硕莪街）又多了一家规模不小的屐店。所售的木屐，色彩更多变化，艳丽的桃红、粉红、黄、紫、棕、褐等等，加上深浅层次不同、大小各异的时款花样，真有如百花争艳的姹紫嫣红了。不少妇女还以穿用这种木屐为时髦呢。
那时，木屐行业十分鼎盛，街上屐店林立，一条街便有好几家。单是珍珠巴刹对面的店铺，便先后开了几家木屐店。
History of clog making in Singapore, http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_600_2005-01-04.html
Clogs are wooden sandals and they have been common household items since I was young. For one thing, my father used to own a provision shop and he sold clogs too. And when we were children, we loved to wear them as the feeling was strange due to the noise produced when walking. I remembered the price of clogs was about $1.80 to $2. I wondered how much it cost now.
Somehow, there is this strong nolstagia to wear them at home because they are really useful in the toilet to prevent your feet from getting wet. It's time to visit Chinatown again to rekindle those memories and of course to shop for a pair or two.
Afternote : Finally I bought 2 pairs of clogs this evening and each cost $5.50. I was told that the clogs are now made at home by the old master and it seems that this art and business of clog making is going to be lost soon as nobody seems to be interested in perpetuating the business.