There are only about ten clog-makers left in France. Claude Labarthe perpetuates a family tradition which celebrates its 250th anniversary this year! Seven generations since 1772, and it is obviously in the 10th issue of Terres des Landes magazine.
This is authentic craftsmanship that is part of our heritage. Claude Labarthe has taken over the activity of his father Francis and welcomes you as it should, clogs on your feet to offer you a remarkable demonstration of manufacturing. He uses unique machines installed by his father and grandfather, including one dating from 1945 which achieved the feat for the time of reproducing two hooves at the same time, distinguishing between the right and the left, or yet another which hollows out the inside.
– Landes Lands
He uses alder, a species that grows nearby, on the banks of the Adour and Barthes, a species that feels good with its feet in the water. It is therefore this semi-hard and rot-proof wood that he works with, from trees 30 to 40 years old that have never undergone the slightest treatment. Around 2010 the activity experienced a certain decline, due in particular to the import of products “from elsewhere”, today the website is increasing demand, the clientele is changing and getting younger. The old ones remain accustomed to the clog, and the younger ones turn to it for an alternative to plastic or rubber shoes. While he could retire, he chooses to continue making his clogs to perpetuate ancestral gestures and share them with visitors. He does so more out of passion than necessity, surviving a magnificent profession that has become unusual today, on the verge of extinction. You have to go meet him.