Yes, you can wear clogs in winter: a closed-toe clog worn with socks goes anywhere you'd wear a loafer, with jeans, wool trousers, corduroy, or a skirt and tights. Our winter clog is the Riva, a closed-toe clog in oiled leather or suede velour with an adjustable buckle, so it takes a sock as easily as it takes a bare foot.
Clogs tend to get filed under summer, next to sandals. A closed-toe clog doesn't belong there. The toe is covered, the upper is leather, and it pairs with a sock the way a loafer does. The real questions are what to wear it with, and which upper suits your winter.
Can you wear clogs in the winter?
You can, as long as the clog has a closed toe. Here's what the Riva is made of:
- Upper: full-grain oiled leather in Black, Clay or Habana Jet Brown, or suede velour in Taupe.
- Footbed: anatomical cork and foam with a leather top layer and a soft suede lining, designed to mold to your foot over time.
- Sole: EVA.
- Fit: an adjustable buckle that lets you set the fit across the top of your foot.
Every Riva is designed and made in Elche, Spain, in our own facilities, where Genuins has made shoes since 1940.
Here's the limitation: a clog is not a snow boot. On days with deep snow or slush, wear boots. For cold, dry days, the office, errands, dinner out and the stretch of the year when sandals are put away, the Riva fits right in.
What socks do you wear with clogs?
Socks are what turn a clog into a winter shoe, so treat them as part of the outfit, not something to hide.
- Length: crew socks work best. A band of sock between your hem and the clog looks deliberate. An ankle sock that disappears under the trouser hem can look like you forgot something.
- Material: wool or a thick cotton for cold days, a ribbed knit if you want the sock to show.
- Color: match the sock to the clog for a quiet look, or pick a contrast on purpose. Cream or oatmeal socks with the Riva Velour Clog in Taupe. Charcoal with Black. Rust, olive or forest green with Habana Jet Brown or Clay.
If you switch between thin and thick socks, use the buckle. It adjusts across the top of your foot, so you can loosen it a notch on thick-sock days and bring it back in when you go thinner.
What do you wear with clogs in winter?
A clog has a rounder, fuller shape than a sneaker or a flat, so it looks best with clothes that have some weight of their own.
- Jeans: straight or wide-leg, hemmed or cuffed to just above the ankle so the clog and a little sock show.
- Wool trousers: a cropped or relaxed pair with a knit on top is the easiest office outfit there is with a clog.
- Corduroy: wide wale cord and a Riva in Habana Jet Brown or Clay is about as winter as an outfit gets.
- Skirts and dresses: a midi length with opaque tights. Black tights with the Black Riva, or brown tights with Habana Jet Brown.
- Outerwear: long wool coats, chunky sweaters and quilted jackets all balance the shape of a clog.
If you're choosing one colorway for the whole season, here's a rough guide:
- Black goes with everything and reads the sharpest.
- Habana Jet Brown is a rich, deep brown that suits denim, camel and olive.
- Clay is earthy, good with cream, navy and denim.
- Taupe velour is soft and neutral, easy with gray, oatmeal and black.
Should you pick leather or suede clogs for winter?
Both work. The choice comes down to the look you want and how you like to look after your shoes.
Oiled leather (Black, Clay, Habana Jet Brown) is full-grain leather that develops its own character over time. It looks a little more lived-in the more you wear it, which is how good leather should look. To care for it, wipe it with a dry or slightly damp cloth, then condition it.
Suede velour (Taupe) is a soft suede leather. To care for it, brush it with a soft brush.
If you'd rather wipe than brush, choose oiled leather. If you want the softest look in the range, choose the Taupe velour. Either way, the leather is sourced from Leather Working Group Gold-certified tanneries. Never put any pair in the washing machine, because of the cork footbed.
How should a clog fit when you wear it with socks?
The Riva runs true to size. Between sizes? Go up. The size guide on our site has the full chart.
The Riva is unisex and sized in both women's and men's: women's US 5 to 11 and men's US 7 to 15. To convert, women's US 9 is men's US 7.
When you try them on, wear the socks you plan to wear most. Set the buckle so the strap sits snug across the top of your foot, then adjust it for thicker or thinner socks as the season changes.
