First Look: Stegmann Wool Clogs for Winter Recovery

Stegmann Wool Clogs
Weight: 16 ounces per pair
Upper: 100% wool
Midsole: 80% cork; 20% latex
Outsole: 100% EVA
Price: $125
Best Feature: Comfortable, warm and durable.
Room for Improvement: Slippery on ice.

When winter hit the mountains of Colorado and the local trails for us at Trail Runner, we commiserated that our recovery slides didn’t have quite the same appeal as they did this summer and fall. Rather than staying in our stinky shoes post-run, we decided to check out the original Stegmann wool clog for some warmth and ergonomic recovery.

Stegmann clogs have a durable EVA outsole, a cork midsole and seamless wool upper. Each upper is handmade and consists of one continuous piece of wool that is felted around a wooden last. The lack of seams translates to durability and no chafing. Stegmann touts that “many of our clogs have lasted 20 years or more.” If they last that long, $125 becomes downright inexpensive.

The clogs have a low drop, medium-level arch support and a metatarsal pad that encourages the toes to spread into the wide toe box. The heel cup keeps your foot in place and the durable soul means these can easily transition from house shoes to everywhere shoes. Do note that, because the soul is pretty stiff and has shallow traction, these don’t work well in ice. Most other surfaces were just fine in testing.

Stegmann sources much of their wool from Tyrolian sheep from local Europian farms. Priority is given to rare and endangered sheep species to encourage reproduction. “Without the financial support of Stegmann, the Tyrolian wool industry, and our wonderful customers,” reads the website, “many of these sheep breeds might no longer exist.”

We found the clogs to be so comfortable and warm that they became much more than just recovery shoes.