Bath Clogs

In Ottoman bath houses (hammams), heated air was circulated under marble floors to keep the building warm, and clogs were worn to protect the feet from the heat. Clogs that were intended for a bride's trousseau were not completed until close to the wedding day, when a leather or fabric strap was nailed across the toe of the shoe. Thus the straps could be customized to fit each woman's feet. This practice may explain why this pair of clogs lacks foot straps.