Links of London produced a remarkable variety of miniature shoes across its original charm range, from high heels and boots to more playful interpretations of contemporary footwear.

Product reference 5030.1168 is one of the more distinctive examples: a three-dimensional sterling silver vented clog shoe charm, complete with rounded toe, perforated upper and heel strap.

Surviving historic stock records identify the design by the rather unexpected name Alligator Clog Charm. The name is useful evidence for documenting the original product, although there is nothing literally alligator-related about the charm itself.

Vintage Links of London vented clog shoe charm sterling silver

A Miniature Vented Clog in Sterling Silver

The design recreates a moulded slip-on clog at miniature scale.

The upper is pierced with multiple circular ventilation holes, while a curved strap wraps around the heel. An open footbed and rounded toe complete the recognisable clog silhouette.

Unlike flatter shoe charms, product 5030.1168 is fully three-dimensional, allowing the perforations, foot opening and strap to be seen clearly from different angles.

Links of London sterling silver clog charm product 5030.1168

Historic Name: Alligator Clog Charm

Surviving stock information associates product reference 5030.1168 with the original name Alligator Clog Charm.

The wording should not be interpreted literally. The charm is sterling silver and has no alligator skin, reptile-textured finish or alligator motif.

The name appears instead to have been playful terminology for the highly recognisable ventilated clog form represented by the design.

No evidence has been recovered showing that the charm was an officially licensed collaboration with a footwear company, so the design is best documented publicly as the Vented Clog Shoe Charm while preserving Alligator Clog Charm as its historic recorded name.

Miniature vented shoe charm with heel strap detail

Original Product Reference 5030.1168

The original Links of London product reference for the design is 5030.1168.

Recovering the product reference is particularly useful because Links of London produced numerous different shoe charms over the years. The reference distinguishes this perforated clog from the house’s high heels, boots, sandals and other footwear-inspired designs.

Surviving stock records also associate the design with EAN 5036652092501 and record an original UK retail price of £50.

Vintage Links of London perforated clog shoe charm

Dimensions of a Surviving Example

A surviving example documented by Links London measures approximately:

• Length: 18mm
• Width: 7mm
• Height: 5mm
• Oval bail: 9mm × 7mm
• Material: Sterling silver

The standard Links of London oval bail allows the charm to be worn directly from a compatible necklace or bracelet up to approximately 5mm wide.

For Sweetie bracelet wear, the charm can also be attached using a sterling silver split ring.

Sterling silver shoe charm measuring approximately 18mm long

A Surviving 2008 Hallmarked Example

The example documented here is hallmarked LL, 925 with a date letter for 2008.

The hallmark dates this particular surviving example rather than establishing when product reference 5030.1168 was originally introduced.

As with many Links of London designs, a charm could remain in production across several years and therefore survive with different hallmark dates.

Links of London clog charm showing ventilation holes

Footwear as Charm Design

Shoes were a recurring theme within the Links of London charm catalogue.

The appeal is easy to understand: footwear has an instantly recognisable silhouette, lends itself well to three-dimensional miniature sculpture and can capture something of the fashion culture of a particular period.

The vented clog is especially revealing in that respect. Rather than translating a timeless formal shoe into silver, it captures a highly distinctive casual footwear shape associated with the early twenty-first century.

Side view of vintage sterling silver vented shoe charm

Condition of the Surviving Charm

The surviving 2008 example documented here has been professionally cleaned and polished and remains in great vintage condition.

The ventilation holes, rounded toe, heel strap and open footbed remain clearly defined, preserving the details that give the miniature shoe its identity.

Miniature slip-on clog charm with sculpted heel strap

Documenting the Vented Clog Shoe Charm

Product 5030.1168 is a useful example of the humour and contemporary references that appeared throughout the original Links of London charm range.

The historic Alligator Clog Charm name adds an intriguing piece of catalogue history, while the surviving object itself leaves little doubt about what the design represents: a miniature ventilated slip-on clog rendered in polished sterling silver.

With its original product reference, EAN, recorded £50 retail price and surviving 2008 hallmark, the design can now be documented with considerably more certainty than many of the house’s less well-recorded charms.

Links of London product 5030.1168 in polished sterling silver