These boots are meant for stomping

In medieval times, klompen, or wooden clogs, were the footwear of choice among Dutch farmers, fishermen, and artisans. It&rsquos hard to visualize anyone traipsing around in them, but evidently they provided much comfort &mdash and served as a hardy insulation from sharp implements. Wooden clogs were even worn to dances, with the dancers setting up a rhythm by tapping the toes and heels on the floor. And in an earlier time, young Dutch men presented their fianc&eacutees with wooden shoes as an expression of endearment. For all its place in Dutch cultural history, though, the klompen today serve only as miniature souvenirs, at about &euro10 a pair. But they&rsquore so much a part of Dutch consciousness that they stomp into everyday idioms &lsquoTo feel something in your wooden shoes&rsquo means to feel something in your bones &lsquoMy wooden shoe broke&rsquo implies a failure to comprehend fully to &lsquoarrive at a feast with wooden shoes&rsquo is to tread into areas where you don&rsquot belong. This colourful pair was gifted to me by a friend as a reminder of a visit to Amsterdam perhaps it&rsquos just my imagination, but I suspect they break into a foot-stomping jig from time to time.