Men's shoes

These men's shoes are English clogs made by tacking leather uppers onto wooden soles. Each shoe has been stamped on the sole with the mark of George Underwood of Auckland. He was previously a boot maker and may have returned to his original trade during the Depression (1930s) or early years of World War II (1939-1945).

Austerity
'Austerity' is a good word to describe the economic era when these shoes were made. New Zealand was at war and the nation's goods were rationed, leading to a shortage of raw materials for making products. People were encouraged to wear clogs like these to save on materials because this type of shoe was cheap to make and hard wearing. Clogs were traditionally shoes of the poor and those employed to do physical labour, but during the war years they were promoted as a symbol of patriotism. Fashion magazines of the time even included photos of models wearing them, although this promotion was never entirely successful.

George Underwood was listed as a Boot Importer of Auckland until 1941, shortly after these shoes were made. It is thought that he probably retired at this time.