Hello! It’s Da-chan!
The mornings and evenings have certainly been getting much colder lately.
And before you know it, there's not much left of this year… it’s that time of year when time seems to fly by even faster.
But this is also a season filled with lots of events.
Following the excitement of the Circles Anniversary Fair just tomorrow, I find that the footsteps of Christmas are gently approaching before I know it🎅
Speaking of Christmas, that means presents🎁
Receiving them is wonderful of course, but choosing a gift for someone else, thinking about them and wondering, "I hope they like this" or "I wonder if they'll be happy," is such a fun time, isn't it!
As a gift you’d like to give to such an important person, how about the Mountain Clog from BEDROCK SANDALS, which we staff here at Circles love so dearly?
It’s one of my favorite items—I wear them almost every day during the winter.
You might have a somewhat rough image of BEDROCK SANDALS as things you beat up while outdoors, but the Mountain Clog features color variations that match everyday outfits, and its rounded form gives off a gentle vibe.
Plus, being unisex, there’s a wide range of sizes available!
Even so, you might be curious about how they feel or their style!
So, this time, I interviewed some of the Circles staff who are avid Mountain Clog users about their actual experience wearing them, how they care for them, and more.
I hope this will be helpful for those of you considering the Mountain Clog as a gift for someone else or as a treat for yourself!
Since there are many fans and we’ve included the staff’s voices exactly as they are without cuts, it might be a bit long, but I would be happy if you read it until the end.
First, let’s start with interviews from staff members who just bought their Mountain Clogs this year👇
Staff with brand-new Mountain Clogs bought this year.
"Dora-chan, GO-kun, Shibu-chan"
PIT Staff: Dora-chan🐉 (Wears Nubuck Leather – Obsidian Dark Gray Leather / Black Webbing)
Q. Why did you buy them?
A. During the summer, I bought the Cairn EVO PRO and used them for everything from work to personal time, but as my feet started feeling chilly, and considering that it’s safer to have some foot protection while performing maintenance, I decided to buy them. Also, I simply wanted to try wearing the Mountain Clog, and I liked the look of the new black color in the nubuck line this season.
Q. On what kind of days or in what outfits/moods do you choose these over other shoes?
A. Because they are so easy to take on and off, I usually wear them whenever I’m heading out if the situation doesn’t require a formal dress code. I used to wear VANS-style sneakers a lot, but the BEDROCKs have a firmer sole that makes it easier to apply power to the pedals, and they are less slippery, so they are generally a great match for cycling and see a lot of use when I’m just going out for a casual bike ride. Another point I love is that the soles don’t deform too much even when pressing down on SPD pedals, so the soles of my feet don’t hurt and they are comfortable to ride in.
Photographer:GO-kun (Wears Nubuck Leather – Obsidian Dark Gray Leather / Black Webbing)
Q. Why did you buy them?
A. Since meeting BEDROCK, I threw away all my sneakers and have been wearing Cairn sandals for about three years. Of course, I was interested in the Mountain Clog, but due to my profession (photographer), I can only wear black, so the previous color lineups wouldn't work for me. When they finally announced the black version, I had to buy it.
Q. On what kind of days or in what outfits/moods do you choose these over other shoes?
A. For the past three years, I’ve worn my Cairn sandals every single day (except for weddings). However, the Cairn’s only weaknesses are packed commuter trains and snowy days; no matter how thick of socks I wear, they can't handle it. I’d been thinking about the Clogs since then. Once I tried them on, the comfort and heat retention of the upper sole were undeniable, and now that it’s gotten colder, I wear them more often than the Cairns. One reason I only ever wore Cairns is that I have wide feet, so I would quickly hurt my feet in off-the-shelf sneakers. But since finding BEDROCK, I’ve lived a life free from pain. I was worried about that with the Clogs, but they are wide to begin with and they naturally adjust and stretch, so I’ve had no issues. They are so comfortable that lately, I don't even recommend them to acquaintances—I just look down on them for not wearing them yet. Anyway, the days I choose these are the days when the Cairns just won’t cut it.
EC/WEB SHOP Manager:Shibu-chan (Wears Nubuck Leather – Brown Upper / Brown Webbing)
Q. Why did you buy them?
A. They were a gift from Matt McAdow, a BEDROCK SANDALS staff member who also does the illustrations for the sandal packaging. Simply put, they are just covered in a single piece of leather, but I was attracted to how the simple design and toughness are in exquisite harmony. I’m also looking forward to seeing how they age over time. Like the Cairn series, the fact that you can slip them on and off without stress via the strap was also a deciding factor.
Q. On what kind of days or in what outfits/moods do you choose these over other shoes?
A. When I want to play in nature (when I’m going for a trail ride). The brown color doesn’t show dirt, so I can wear them without worry. Even when they do get dirty, it looks natural. Because the soles are hard, they bite into the tall pins of MTB pedals nicely and provide great rebound. They also protect your toes, which is a key feature that makes it safe to walk in the mountains. I generally wear somber colors like black and gray, so I feel like the brown is a nice accent. I also wear them to commute on rainy days, and thanks to the simple construction, they dry quickly.
Something all three had in common: "They are just so easy to put on and take off, they’ve become something I find myself reaching for naturally."
The Clogs, positioned right between a sandal and a shoe, fit perfectly into both daily life and activities!
How does the aging and maintenance look for staff who have been wearing them for years?
"Chan-Mai, Da-chan, Eltzin, Shige-san, Mako-san, Yanack"
EC/Media Manager:Da-chan (Wears Suede Leather – Deep Plum Upper / Deep Plum Webbing)
Q. How long have you been wearing them?
A. A little over a year. I bought them last year!
Q. What changes have you seen in appearance or comfort as you've worn them in?
A. At first, there was the stiffness typical of leather products, but as I wore them every day, they started to wrinkle and conform, becoming very comfortable. I wear them on rides too, so the parts of the soles that touch the pedals have gradually chipped away. I feel like as those "well-worn" looks increase, they start to look even more attractive than when they were brand new.
Q. Do you do any special maintenance? How often?
A. When I first bought them, I applied cream about once a month. Lately, I haven’t done almost anything... lol. I wear them on rainy days too, so when they get wet, I make sure to let them dry properly and then apply cream.
PIT Staff:Makoto-san (Wears Nubuck Leather – Brown Upper / Brown Webbing)
Q. How long have you been wearing them?
A. About two and a half years, since right after they came in stock.
Q. What changes have you seen in appearance or comfort as you've worn them in?
A. My feet are a fairly unique shape, but the leather has changed and conformed to my feet.
Q. Do you do any special maintenance? How often?
A. I brush them. About once every six months.
2F Tailored Staff:Chan-Mai (Wears Suede Leather – Deep Plum Upper / Deep Plum Webbing)
Q. How long have you been wearing them?
A. About 1 year and 4 months! Last year when the new Deep Plum color came out, I thought "oh, how cute!" and chose it!
Q. What changes have you seen in appearance or comfort as you've worn them in?
A. I felt they conformed to my feet in less than a month, and the size, which I was worried might have been a bit too snug, became just right. I do a lot of standing and crouching, so they got creases immediately. I think of this as part of their character, but I do get annoyed when dirt gets trapped in the wrinkles. The color has faded quite a bit, and they’ve grown into an exquisite color that’s neither purple nor brown.
Q. Do you do any special maintenance? How often?
A. When spring comes and I switch to sandals, I hand-wash them and apply water repellent. So, once a year. I brush them when the dirt starts to bother me, but it’s not that frequent. Maybe less than once a month.
Photographer/WEB SHOP Manager:Eltzin (Wears Suede Leather – Deep Plum Upper / Deep Plum Webbing)
Q. How long have you been wearing them?
A. It’s been two years.
Q. What changes have you seen in appearance or comfort as you've worn them in?
A. Like Chan-Mai mentioned before, they were quite purple-yam-like at first, but I feel the color has settled down as I’ve worn them in. I often kneel on my left knee when framing a shot, so when I look at the photos, there are definitely stronger wrinkles on the left one—habits are amazing! I like these changes because it makes them "my" shoes. I end up taking them off and putting them on unexpectedly often during portraits and product shoots, so I like that they are easy to slip off but still allow me to move around easily.
Q. Do you do any special maintenance? How often?
A. Sorry, I’m a bit lazy, so I just use a rubber suede brush at the end of the season and apply a spray that has both a nourishing agent and a water-repellent effect... I wear them during the same season as my suede shoes like Birkenstock Bostons, so I just clean them all at once when the season ends!
EC/Media Manager:Shige-san (Wears Suede Leather – Sagebrush Green/Gray Upper – Charcoal Webbing)
Q. How long have you been wearing them?
A. I bought them last spring, so about a year and a half. I had bought the Synthetic version during the initial 2023 release, so I rotate them according to the scene and my outfit. They are a big help not just for autumn/winter rides, but also as shoes for working or going fishing.
Q. What changes have you seen in appearance or comfort as you've worn them in?
A. I do a lot of crouching, so there are wrinkles—or rather, tracks—but that has become part of their character. I have relatively wide feet, but the comfort has been superb from the very beginning.
Q. Do you do any special maintenance? How often?
A. Basically, I just wipe them lightly when they get dirty from gravel rides, but when I switched to sandals this spring, I washed them and treated them for water repellency, following Chan-Mai's review.
1F Concept Manager: Yanack (Wears Synthetic Suede – Gray Upper / Black Webbing)
Q. How long have you been wearing them?
A. I think it’s been exactly two years.
Q. What changes have you seen in appearance or comfort as you've worn them in?
A. I also love the Nubuck Leather version, and it’s very interesting that these have developed an appearance completely different from natural leather. The way the wrinkles form—a characteristic of the material's expression—is somehow more linear. As other staff members have said, when dealing with customer service—especially with footwear like BEDROCK—you are absolutely going to be crouching, so those wrinkles are deeply etched. As for the surface texture, I’d say the color has lightened just a little bit?
Q. Do you do any special maintenance? How often?
A. Honestly, I do almost no maintenance. I maintain the Nubuck Leather ones regularly, but there is absolutely no need for it here. Very rarely, I just brush them to knock off dust or simple dirt.
A pair I highly recommend for anyone who wants to wear them hard without a care! For those of you who might be lazy and think, "I probably won't do maintenance...", these are definitely for you!
The Mountain Clog’s exquisite balance—the casualness of a sandal and the security of a shoe—has naturally dissolved into our staff’s lives.
- Heading to work
- Going out for a casual bike ride
- Playing in the mountains, building a campfire
- Commuting on rainy days
- Running around on photo shoots
Because they have the capacity to accept any situation,
I think they become "the shoes you find yourself always wearing."
Whether you’re a member who first picked them up because of the new colors, or a member who has been wearing them in for years, everyone feels the same "reliability of a partner" from these Clogs.
We also have RAL Tabby Socks, which are a perfect match for the Mountain Clog, so be sure to check those out too❣️
At the store, we can do simple gift wrapping regardless of whether it’s for Christmas, so please don't hesitate to ask.
I hope you will consider the Mountain Clog as a gift for your loved ones or as a reward for yourself for working hard this year🎁
