Work & Business
Getting A Feel For Swedish Hasbeens
Carrie Bradshaw, heroine of the infamous “Sex and the City” television show that debuted in 1998, was known for her love of Manolo Blahniks, Christian Louboutins and Jimmy Choos.
Sarah Jessica Parker, the actress who brought Carrie to life, shows her own love of shoes, but she’s been known to favor Swedish Hasbeens clogs.
Since 2006, fashion writers and bloggers who track everything that celebrities are wearing have been talking about Parker’s affinity for Swedish Hasbeens; even the company itself gives her a shout out for her fashion sense. Last summer, Travel & Leisure spotted the clogs on Parker’s feet as she left the Hamptons for New York City. According to the magazine, “Fans love the shoes for their walkability (the wide heels come in three different heights) and their ability to be dressed up or down, making them a great travel shoe.”
So, what are Swedish Hasbeens?
They’re the reincarnation of Swedish clogs of the 1970s. The brand launched in 2006 in Stockholm, introducing a new generation to this quirky footwear. It worked: Swedish Hasbeens was chosen as the country’s trend of the year only two years later.
According to the company’s website, more than 300 pairs of red, white and black clogs were discovered in the basement of an old clog factory. These were the shoes that Anita – known as the “hottest mum in all of southern Sweden in the 1970’s” – wore. White high-heeled clogs, to be more specific.
At Umgäs, we can’t tell you how much of that is myth and how much is absolute fact, but it’s a fun story to share.
As for the clogs, check them out yourselves, and perhaps even order a pair. They’re handcrafted from wood with natural grain leather, a fully sustainable shoe, sandal or boot with an ergonomic shape that supports your arch no matter how low or high a heel you choose.
The brand certainly knows how to put its best foot forward, so to speak. In 2016, it launched its own collection of pants, aptly titled HasJeans. As founder and designer Emy Blixt told Glamour UK: “I never could find any jeans to match the retro-design of my clogs so I simply decided I had to make them myself.”
The high-waisted pants come in multiple colors and fabrics with exaggerated flared legs, whether cropped or full length. That flare lets you put a spotlight on whatever style or color of Hasbeens clog you wear.
After all, as its website says, “Hasbeens know sometimes you have to move back to be able to move forward.”
