Very often in the fashion industry, a trend comes along that everyone immediately latches on to while other new looks simply fall flat on the runway. It’s safe to say that clogs are somewhere in between. One might ask, however, is it a coincidence that the word “clog” means, “to halt or retard the progress of”? The shoes are bulky, usually distasteful and evoke an air of laziness, and we certainly haven’t seen any on the New York and Paris runways—until now. Fashion houses like Chanel and Louis Vuitton are ready to breathe new life into one of the world’s oldest and most controversial styles of shoe, forcing fashionistas to decide which side of the spectrum they are on.

Clogs reared their ugly head in The Netherlands, also known as Holland, in the 1800s. The Dutch created the clog to protect their feet while they worked in the fields as farmers and gardeners, and also found the shoe to be comfortable and easy on their feet. Can anyone say splinters? The wooden shoes eventually made their way to the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Spain, with each country creating their own style of clogs for aesthetic and functional reasons.

Enter the 1970s, when America was introduced to the Swedish clog. Who, you ask, do we have to blame (or thank) for this? None other than Abba, the Swedish pop group famous for the tune “Dancing Queen.” Can you believe the clog actually made it into the 1980s as well? And you can’t forget the 90s, when the Candies clogs were all the rage—or were they? The click clack heel was as annoying as hearing nails down a chalkboard.

The new millennium brought us professionals such as doctors, nurses and even chefs wearing clogs to work, though they were of the rubber variety. I guess Crocs are OK for boating and gardening, but I still think Martha Stewart would slap you for wearing them no matter how many padparadja pansies you planted.

Fast forward to 2010. They say there is no such thing as bad publicity, but why phenomenal fashion houses like Chanel, Céline, Vuitton and Miu Miu would decide to resurrect the clog for their 2010 spring/summer collections is beyond me. I suppose there’s a plus in that women will be taller without having to balance in a stiletto. The nearly four-inch heel of the Chanel clogs slightly resembles a table leg and looks to weigh a ton, but the good news is the heel won’t get stuck in a subway grate. I must say that these clogs will give you killer legs in shorts.

The Céline clogs are classic with their modern wooden soles (platform or heel) and neutral-colored leather straps. The platforms look incredibly cute and comfortable. I hope looks are deceiving and the clogs are lighter than they appear.

Just when you thought Louis Vuitton couldn’t monogram one more thing, low and behold the LV clogs. There are so many bells and whistles on this shoe that it looks like part of a Girl Scout uniform.  Whatever the intention, you probably wouldn’t notice if a chunk of crimped hair or a tassel fell off.

The Miu Miu slip-on clogs look like fun to wear, with their cute cloth patterns and Chanel-like heel. There are also great evening designs with the entire clog covered in a patterned satin material. Good luck finding an outfit to wear with these.

So, whether you’re a Cloggie, as the Dutch call clog enthusiasts, or a  . . . well, I can’t come up with a cute word for clog haters, they’re back, they’re taller, and they’re more colorful and crazier-looking than ever. Let’s just keep our fingers crossed that the socks stay in the drawer.