Madam Yeow, is a second generation of a disappearing trade of clog makers in Ipoh. Her small little shop is currently located on the second floor of Pasar Besar Ipoh (below the famously and locally known Super Kinta). She inherited the trade and the shop from her mother-in-law that boast a history of more than 50 years while she has been in the trade for more than 30. Madam Yeow proudly continues her parents-in-law legacy, who hails from Mainland China bringing along with them the craft of making clogs. While her late mother-in-law sold clogs, her late father-in-law on the other hand was once the largest clog producer in Ipoh (about 300 to 400 pairs in a month). The children of the old couple took over the business when the old man decided to retire. However, due lack of interest over several years, the business was scaled down and continued only by Madam Yeow and her mother in law.

Amidst the industrial evolution, machine production of clogs slowly gained traction compared to the slow traditional hand made process. Madam Yeow recalls that the entire process of clog making was completely done by hand; from the chopping of the durian tree trunk to the  cutting, shaping, sanding, polishing, painting and finally the nailing of the base. However today, Madam Yeow buys ready-made bases from the factory but still continues the rest of the process in her small shop by hand. Apart from ready-made bases, she ensures that there is no change in the original clog making process. In addition, Madam Yeow also used to paint simple floral designs on the bases. Today there are hardly any clog wearers, as Madam Yeoh observes “..... it is difficult to see any of the younger generation to show any interest, unless they are introduced by their parents or the elderly to the shop”. To these younger generations, she says, “...the designs of clogs are perceived as old-fashioned in a modern world”.

The heyday of clogs has faded while replaced by the modern slippers. According to Madam Yeow, “.... demands of 200 to 300 pairs in a day is a thing of the past, and you will be lucky to even get orders of even 2 or 3 pairs ”. Sustaining the business is a painstaking affair and it has become increasingly difficult. Hence, to make ends meet, she sells other products such as brooms and stools. Amidst the bleak outlook, surviving the hand making process of clogs has made Madam Yeow an important supplier of these traditional craft to places such as Kuala Lumpur, Pulau Pangkor, Pantai, Taiping and etc. where she is able to earn extra income. When asked about passing on the business to the next generation, Madam Yeow regretfully replied “...with only one to two pairs a day, these low sales volume will not be a good source of income, unless the orders increase”.

She recalls, “30 years ago, the clogs were sold at RM1 per pair but now it can be priced at  RM9.50 or higher depending on the design”. While in tandem, the increasing cost of the materials can overprice the production of a pair of clogs in comparison to a pair of modern slippers. This predicament does not support the sustainability of the business. Even worse, the quality of the materials are degrading over time. “Finding alternative materials is not an option, hence we have to use whatever that is at our disposal”, she chimed.