How do you write a love letter to a pair of shoes? It’s almost like an affair where you’ have no clue where to begin the narrative.
But Crocs are that kind of shoe. It’s not fashionable, it’s not, not.
They’re the ugly duckling of footwear that, once donned, transforms into a swan. They’re slippers, workwear, camping essentials and every wear, all the time kind of shoes.
These days, with the designs available and the way that fashion has moved to comfort first, there is no reason why anyone shouldn’t own a pair of Crocs, or two, or three.
These shows last forever, and they look good dressed up or down. Because they are inherently ugly, they are beautiful. It’s a show of contrasting aesthetics, but wear them, and they become enchanting.
It all started a few decades ago when three Americans on a sailing trip in the Caribbean started their search for a practical boating shoe.
They discovered a material called Croslite, a foam-like material that was waterproof, lightweight and comfortable.
The trio immediately bought the rights from a Canadian company and launched the first Crocs shoe in 2002. It was called the Beach, which sold out all 200 pairs at a boat show.
First 200 pairs were a sellout
Almost overnight, these somewhat unconventional shoes drew attention in the mainstream media, and bloggers couldn’t stop talking about them.
Crocs were called either hideous or genius. But people bought them. The brand name, by the way, was said to be an ode to crocodiles, because they, like their show-mates, can move between land and water effortlessly.
Crocs, because they are so practical, became a standard uniform for everyone from chefs to surgeons. Believe it or not, everything about the shoe, including the thirteen holes for ventilation, was done on purpose.
It was really the pandemic that took Crocs to everyone. We were all in sweatpants and slippers for almost two years, and these shoes were the crossover from slipping on a mask to go buy food through to working your veggie patch through to lazing in front of the telly.
Bieber wore them
And then, popular culture took over. Post Malone collaborated; Justin Bieber wore them, and designers like Salehe Bembury got involved.
Limited edition drops created hype, while social media never stopped with content streams. Jibbitz charms made personalisation a reality, and ugly truly became beautiful in the eyes of the beholder.
But, as an ode to the most comfortable shoe ever created. Well, there is just no other piece of footwear quite like it.
Now, there are furry Crocs for winter, closed-up versions that could pass for office clobber and an endless stream of trinkets you can plug into the holes on your shoes.
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Walk into a Crocs store and you can choose your personality. Studded punk-like designs replace Doc Martens because, well, they’re uber cool and do not come at a cost of three months’ salary for a pair to couple up with your skinnys.
There are the girlie pairs, the carry-all bags, and the simplicity of an original pair, worn naked, sans adornments. There are sports themes, iconic brand themes.
Camping tests Crocs’ mettle
And these shoes can take a beating.
Camping is the ultimate test of survival for any pair, from muddy, rainy campsites through to hiking, poolside antics, a bit of footie on the lawn and later, a rinse under the tap.
They’re good as new, every time. And again, these foot contraptions last. It takes forever for the soles to wear through, and the straps never stretch beyond recognition.
My kids never wear anything else; You cannot even tempt them with a pair of Nike Jordans when there are Crocs in the wardrobe.
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