How long have wooden shoes been around?
One of the first questions that people ask is: How long have people been wearing wooden shoes in the Netherlands? This is a difficult question to answer; not many old wooden shoes can be found. This is logical, because wooden shoes are made of wood, which means they easily decay in the ground. Wooden shoes also used to be used as fuel for the fireplace. Nevertheless, a number of wooden shoes have been found the last few years. Naturally in the Netherlands.
Discoveries
The next to oldest wooden shoe in the Netherlands can be seen in the Schielandshuis in Rotterdam and is from the year 1280. The 28 cm long and 12.5 cm wide wooden shoe made of alder wood was found in 1990 in the dam that the Rotte is dammed up with.
The oldest wooden shoe comes from a different dyke, the Nieuwendijk in Amsterdam. This wooden shoe is from the year 1230. This wooden shoe is also made of alder wood.
We can allege that the wooden shoe in its current form has been in existence for about 800 years. The wooden shoe is probably a lot older and there will probably be new (peat) discoveries to prove it.
Old images
The oldest picture of a wooden shoe can be seen at the S. Johannes Baptista (Propsteikirche) in Dortmund (Germany). An altar piece made by Derick Baegert from 1470 is hanging there. It shows a person who is wearing wooden shoes. In 1560 Bruegel painted "De kinderspelen" (the children’s games). One of the children in the painting is wearing wooden shoes.
Expressions and sayings
The Dutch language has many expressions and sayings that are associated with wooden shoes and the wearing of wooden shoes, for example:
'Iemand iets uitleggen met de klomp' (explain something to someone with the wooden shoe)
To make something clear in no uncertain terms.
‘'Iets op zijn klompen aanvoelen'(Feel something in his wooden shoes)
To feel something in your bones. For example: “You can feel it in your wooden shoes that they will not accept him right away".
'Nu breekt mijn klomp' (My wooden shoe broke)
I didn’t expect this, I don’t get it.
'Met de klompen op het ijs komen' (Come onto the ice with the wooden shoes)
'Met de klompen in het gelag komen' (Arrive at a feast with the wooden shoes)
Both: Acting carelessly. They are treading in areas where they do not belong; they are wasting their time talking.
'Iets tegen zijn klomp krijgen' (to have something hit up against his wooden shoe)
To be rejected.
'Op de klomp spelen' (To play the wooden shoe)
Scold and scream.