Hot Topic Friday: to Croc or not to croc...that is the question

it's no secret. I am anti-croc. a croc-blocker, if you will. no, i didn't coin the term. i believe that credit goes to RSM.

i also believe that crocs and clogs in general should only be seen on

and fishermen. and possibly gardeners. but that's it. that's where the buck stops.

they are made of rubber (and rubber shoes smell like ass). They are ugly. the holes! don't even get me started on the holes! they are loud and gaudy. neon. neon shoes! and don't go thinking that if you get them in a dark color that they suddenly become less croc-like. a croc is a croc is a croc.

yes, yes, i understand that they are comfortable. that's always the argument. always. "yes, they are ugly, but they are so comfortable." there are comfortable shoes that are not ugly. adidas. or pumas. or nikes. besides, i am a short girl. i learned to wear heels before i learned to do algebra. shoes are first and foremost to make you look good - not feel good. if they feel good, it's a bonus.

they are like a plague. and they are multiplying. and mutating into products i didn't think were possible:

there are two camps. those who adore the croc. and those who loathe the croc. there is no in-between. you either love 'em or hate 'em. and we know to which camp i belong. in which do you belong???!! agree withe me? let me know! disagree with me? tell me what you love about them! is there something i'm missing here?

(disclaimer: many of my friends wear crocs. the majority of them, i think. members of my family wear crocs...even Emily wears them. Many of my online friends wear crocs. I hope that my readers who love the croc (oh, you know who you are...) will try to convince me of why i should become a convert instead of being insulted. it's not a personal attack...it's just an opinion. i don't love you any less...i just don't understand your taste in shoes!)

Comments

[jodifur]

I hate them, but I actually bought a pair for me kid today, and blogged about it!

http://jodifur.blogspot.com/2008/04/michael-has-conformed.html

[doonga]

i think they are constructed via a new form of mutant rubber concoction which I think is very innovative and it must be stressed how long has man imprisoned his feet!. one should walk on varied surfaces, another important contribution vis a vis feet is by old indian yogi's who begin with the strengthening of feet for at least 3 years before you even begin practising ... anyways crocs seem to exericise some important tendons and muscles .. so might be useful for any budding footballers to wear thses, and do stop worrying about looks it's so narcistic and childish, though I would say that now that I am 89 and half blind and have started to walk 3 miles with these crocs. just imagine you can't see then slip into a croc ... promise they don't bite... easy now

[Haley]

HATE HATE HATE.

[Jennifer]

I don't feel very strongly one way or another. My son has a pair he uses around the house and in the garden. I had no idea people were so passionate about them.

[Jenn]

I confess - I wore the ballet style to work today. Maybe it's only because I have a crippling hangover, but I convinced myself that the ballet ones are super cute. No one even realized they were Crocs.

I know, I know, I'm brainwashed.

[ali]

trust me, Diane, i know all about this, which is why i allowed my mother to buy them for my daughter... :)

[Diane]

As a Mom & Gramma (and Jen's mom) I can tell you that fashion has no rhyme or reason - just look back at pictures from the past especially school pictures, weddings, proms. You all have them!
Part of a Grandparent's job is to indulge their grandchildren and purchase "must haves" like crocs even if they are ugly and not practical.

[Sleepynita]

Cookie, your name shows up under the post you made not above it, so no one thought that my typo was made by you. I have made that mistake myself on a blog and was HORRIFIED what I thought it looked like I had written :)

[Audrey]

A little over a year ago I tried on a friend's pair of crocs. And holy crap, they were comfy. So comfy, in fact, that I overlooked the ugliness and asked for a pair for my birthday. Luckily, my family knew better, and refused to purchase ugly rubber shoes for me.

Recently 2 people I know came back from disney world with black crocs with red straps and mouse-head-shaped holes. And every time i see these two people wearing their mickey crocs I can barely keep my mouth shut about how unbelievably stupid they look.

Thank god my family refused to buy me crocs, or I could at this very moment be looking incredibly stupid too. No amount of comfort is worth looking that ridiculous in public.

[Heidi]

Ok, I will wade into the debate.

HATE them - $50 AU for rubber shoes, so NOT cool!!!!! They look gross, I could go on and on...

but.....

Thought I made it through the summer without (phew) having to get any of the kids these awful shoes...damn it, didn't make it. Whilst buying Jeremy some runners, they had Crocs for 1/2 price if you bought another pair full price and he had been begging for months for a pair...he loves them. :(((

And they are the ONLY shoes he will wear voluntarily...

[Laney]

an article on the (hospital) dangers of crocs:
http://www.esdjournal.com/articles/Crocs/crocs.htm

[Cookie]

I (Cookie) did NOT post the following: (And I DON'T make typos.)

Posted by: Cookie | June 02, 2007 at 01:31 AM

Did you join the facebook group "I don't car how comfortable they are you look like a dumbass" yet? Yeah full of pepole like us!

[Cookie]

another maclean's article on crocs - FYI:

http://www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?content=20060605_127963_127963

[Cookie]

read last week's maclean's article on the dangers of crocs. very interesting! (btw they're made of foam, not rubber.) regardless, although they look comfortable i'll stick to something else (no pun intended). especially when they're $30+!!

[Sleepynita]

Did you join the facebook group "I don't car how comfortable they are you look like a dumbass" yet? Yeah full of pepole like us!

[Wendy]

I hate crocs too.
I'll personally never wear them.
My kids have them. I mistakenly bought them last year as a beach/water shoe. Then I saw when happens when they run, climb or try to do anything remotely athletic in them. I will not let them wear them to school. They can only wear them in the backyard!
Geesh, readin this over make me realize what a controlling mother I am!

[Laural]

I am okay with Crocs for purposes such as gardening, sight seeing (if you don't let people take foot pictures) and at home.
However, I think they look a little hideous - on adults.
On kids - adorable.

[Gwen]

I am definitely in the hate them camp. I think they are sooooooo ugly. I couldn't believe that my dad wears them He was very insulted when I made fun of them . :) Oh well.

[HALEY-O]

ARRRGH! Double posted -- delete the shorter one pretty please, and then maybe I'll forgive you for your BEEEEYOTCHNESS!

[HALEY-O]

BEE-YOTCH for that comment you left me below!!!! I'm SO anti-croc and ANTI-trend. I HATE my crocs. I was desperate. PREGNANT and DESPERATE. PLUS, you KNOW what happens to my sense of fashion when I'm preggers. I'm ONLY about comfort. PLUS, if you saw my feet, you'd understand! AND, as soon as I can get the new sketcher's plastics, I'm there. You freaking ARSE BEEEEEEEYOTCH! HAAAATE!!! ;)

[HALEY-O]

BEE-YOTCH for that comment you left me below!!!! I'm SO anti-croc and ANTI-trend. I HATE my crocs. I was desperate. If you saw my feet, you'd understand! AND, as soon as I can get the new sketcher's plastics, I'm there. BEEEEEEEYOTCH! HAAAATE!!! ;)

[Katt]

Yes, I have a pair of crocs. I bought them when I was so freakin' preggo that I could not find anything else to fit my elephant feet. I haven't worn them since and will only wear them again if my elephant feet return with #2. That's a good exception, right???

And I saw a chic wearing black dress pants, white socks, and brown crocs. SO WRONG!

[AJ]

Maybe it didn't make the news elsewhere, but here in Oklahoma they are saying that crocs are particularly succeptible to being grabbed by escalators. We had a 3 year old boy get one snagged a couple weeks ago. Mangled the shoe but thankfully not his foot.

I hate, hate, HATE crocs! I have two boys. I swore would never, under any circumstances, wear crocs. Not only are they hideous, they are GIRLY! People, DO NOT PUT BOYS IN CROCS! PLEASE! Camo, black, brown, doesn't matter. Girly! haha

Then last week, you know what happens? My mother-in-law....who is VERY much aware of my croc loathing...sends both boys a pair complete with the little stupid button charms to pop into them. They were thrilled. Me, not so much. They are fortunately way too big and I told the boys they are not "real" shoes, we only wear them in the back yard to get them muddy and hopefully torn up by a strange animal.

[Naomi (Urban Mummy)]

Plastic shoes were hideous in the 80s, and they are still hideous now. Okay, so they are rubber but not plastic...please...hideous.

[LoriD]

I'm anti adult croc, but pro kid croc. I think they're cute for kids (especially the new mary-jane style) and they love the charms. Adults in crocs, especially the neon variety, look ridiculous.