My Ruby Red Slippers

It was only a matter of time before I wrote about my brand new favorite shoes.  Nathan calls them my Ruby Red Slippers, which I guess is fitting since I love the Wizard of Oz and Wicked is probably my favorite musical!  Being a teacher and on my feet all day, I have always appreciated a good pair of shoes.  A few years ago, a friend of mine told me about Dansko shoes.  She was a hairdresser who swore by them.  I bought my first pair in 2007 and was in love.

My old pair were worn, scuffed and just plain ugly from wearing so often, that this year I went to go get me another pair.  When shopping, I was trying to decide between the more practical pair or the fun red ones.... It was a hard choice, and I couldn't really afford to buy both (they are kind of pricey, not in the Manolo Blahnik kind of way, but still) What to do, what to do??  Nathan said I should just get both, so that is exactly what I did! I know that I must be my mothers daughter because I remember her often wearing clogs when I was growing up. Being so in love with my shoes, I had to look up the brand and read about them.


Dansko clogs all began with a love story and continue to be a story of love. When Danish horse trainer Peter Kjelerup first saw his student Mandy Cabot, it was love at first sight. Later, as husband and wife, they made a visit to Denmark, Peter's hometown, where they saw the "perfect barn clogs."

Bringing some pieces home to give to friends, then later to sell at horse shows, they discovered a great need for clogs especially by nurses, doctors, chefs, stewards, and other professionals. Thus, they decided to open their own shoe company named Dansko, which means "Danish shoes."

Though it started only in 1990, Dansko clogs have readily become one of the leading clog companies with around 3,500 retail locations providing comfortable clogs of various styles. What is the secret behind Dansko's success? The company is stimulated by one overarching goal: to leave the world a better place.

My shoes make me happy!