With an ease of hand and a sharp skill, Vivecka sits before a stapling machine near our clog master, Christer, to perform a key step in bringing each pair of Swedish clogs to life. To watch her work, is to watch in awe. “You need to know where to begin when you’re stapling so you get a perfect line, and amount of staples,” she said. “The pressure needs to be correct so the wooden base or the leather doesn’t crack or break.” And with 10 years of experience, Vivecka makes it look easy. She knows exactly where to place the first staple to achieve such precise perfection. Beyond an art form, she shows she has it down to an exact science. “I draw it on the base, and put the leather in water so it softens up and makes it easier to staple,” she said. But even there, she needs to be aware of exactly how long the leather should be in the water. Too much time or too little, it will be too stiff to work with and runs the risk of cracking. There is no secret it seems, other than to allow this process to become second nature – something you just know. “Any mistake will be seen in the final result of the clogs,” she said. “It makes a huge difference.” Vivecka’s eye for detail contributes to her success, as no one staples as good as she can. In fact, her record is 240 Madrid clog sandals in a single day. “Sandals are the easiest pairs to make,” she said. She also admits the men’s styles are easier to staple than the smaller women’s and kid’s styles, due to its larger size. They’re easier to hold, and therefore, easier to staple. And every single pair of clogs made in the Sandgrens factory passes through Vivecka’s station, one staple at a time.
