Van Gogh painted this picture of sabots combining wood and leather.
Grandrif used to boast new fewer than six manufacturers of these types of footware. One of them was the father of our next door neighbour.
In this detail from a 1924 photo of the children at the Grandrif école publique, there are two lads wearing ‘les sabots’ the all wooden clog, whilst two others are wearing a form of galoche that look like lace up boots.
To make them more comfortable sabots made for women had a strip of leather over the ‘instep’. In the case of children’s, this strap could be unbottoned to allow their small feet to fit into the clogs and hold them on securely.
LES SABOTS
And here's a story you can believe if you like.
The wooden blocks used to hold rails in position were, in France, known as Les Sabots. In, 1910 French railwaymen came out on strike. To prevent trains running along the track, the wooden keys (sabots) were knocked out. This act was known as
SABOTAGE.
The precise definition of these two types of footware is not clear for one gradually merges into the other. So as a starting point let’s say that ‘les sabots’ are made entirely of wood, whilst ‘les galoches’ are made with a wooden sole and heel and a leather upper.
