what is up with crocs?

[squeeeb]

where i live, it seems most of the people walking around wear crocs. i don't get it, what is the appeal of crocs? other than mario batali and his orange crocs, i can't see why they would be popular. are they that comfortable? is it the ease of putting on and taking off, no laces or buckles? from what i can see, they are plastic clogs. lots of people wear them, and i can't believe all those people are chefs.

[shesus]

I hate those shoes. No one should wear them unless they serve an orthopedic purpose or are part of a job uniform. I think they are the ugliest things after Uggs. I don't get the fascination behind them unless they're comfortable. So many people think that comfortable means ugly...poor souls.

[Jetée]

[Slavakion]

I've never worn a pair myself, but I've heard that they're very comfortable. I think they look ridiculous, though.

[MrTia]

i've never heard of them. does that make me out of touch?

[Seaver]

My mom wears a flip-flop style pair because she has foot problems and they work well for her.

Anyone without foot problems... well they're just under the Ugg fashion in my opinion.

You have to give it to the marketers though... how the hell you get women to wear parka boots in a Texas summer blows my mind.

[Craven Morehead]

I'm a dork that wears them. Bought a pair in the spring of 06. Seldom wear them outside of the house. I love them in the winter with a pair of socks. They are extemely comfortable. For me, they are like slippers around the house. My wife wears them also. She has some foot issues and has trouble finding shoes that don't hurt her feet. She loves Crocs.

[QuasiMondo]

What are crocs? I'm fashion illiterate.

[Willravel]

They're horrible. The Ford Pinto of the shoe world.

[squeeeb]

for those who don't know what they are:

http://www.crocs.com/

Craven Morehead - see, now for you and your wife, if they are comfortable footwear and they are one of the few pairs of shoes that don't hurt your feet, i understand and don't blame you. honestly, i've not tried them, so they might be the most comfortable shoes on the planet for me, i'll never know...

oh, while i was typing, will beat me to it...

thanks for the visual will...

[MrTia]

Originally Posted by QuasiMondo

What are crocs? I'm fashion illiterate.

i’m glad you asked this too. i was afraid this was gonna turn out like that time i asked who andre agassi was.

[Redlemon]

Another advantage of Crocs are that they essentially weigh nothing. Next to Aerogel, they may be the least-dense substance on the planet. You call them 'plastic', but they really aren't. The closest thing I can describe them as is the squishy flotation-device foam.

Yeah, I have two pairs. I got my first pair before the popularity kicked in, but who cares. I'm hear for comfort, not fashion. The silver color is awesome, though.

[snowy]

Crocs are great for working in kitchens--hence why Mario Batali wears them. They don't skid the way normal shoes do on slippery surfaces. Also, because of what they're made of, you don't have to worry about getting them dirty. They clean up easily.

They make good house shoes, gardening shoes, and kitchen shoes, but I don't think I would wear Crocs outside of those situations. Similarly, I have a pair of shearling boots courtesy of Costco ($10/pair! Hell yes!) that look nothing like Uggs yet people always think they're Uggs because of the shearling. I never wear them outside of the house.

[HALJNS]

One of my best friends got a pair last Christmas and swears by them.He even has a Croc tan(brown spots on his feet).Comfort is his big thing as he is big himself and wears them hunting,to the beach and work.
As for material,without research and to keep simple,they are a thermoplastic elastomer.

my friend does look a little odd driving a combine or tractor trailer with his crocs on.

[connyosis]

Absolutely hideous. Maybe they're comfortable, I've never tried them. They're just too damn ugly...

[abaya]

They're even popular here in Iceland...

[Glory's Sun]

I'd rather have good looking shoes than comfortable ones..

Crocs are dumb looking, but if you have foot issues, I can understand wearing them.

Isn't some woman suing the company because her son's pair got caught in an escalator or something?

Also, wearing socks with these shoes is just as bad as wearing socks with sandals..

[Redlemon]

So, to summarize, everyone who has posted so far falls into one of the following two categories:

(1) I've never tried them, and I hate them.
(2) I've tried them, and I like them.

[*Nikki*]

Hey when I was doing Vet Tech work and on my feet non-stop on a cement floor for ten hours, these were the only shoes that worked. They are soooo comfortable and you don't even feel like you are wearing shoes. That is the major appeal to me. I agree that they are ugly as sin.

[BadNick]

Originally Posted by abaya

They're even popular here in Iceland...

As global warming sets in, we'll all be needing to wear more waterproof shoes.

I got a pair last year because my two boys pestered me to getting them crocs; so when I tried their's and saw that they seemed to address certain niche functionality and were cheap, I got a pair. They are light, comfortable, and waterproof so they work well for water sports where you don't need athletic support. If I get sloppy in the kitchen and splatter myself, the floor and my cooking assistant ...hey, you can take a shower with crocs on your feet.

Be careful where you walk = I think statistics support this experience: my boy stepped on a rusty nail while wearing his crocs and of course the nail went through the "shoe" like butter since they are such soft rubber, so he discovered that the tetanus shot and cleaning were a lot worse than the original injury.

[Challah]

I'm sure they're great for some people and some situations, but it is ridiculous that they've become so fashionable. They do look stupid. They probably aren't so bad in warm areas but here, in eastern Canada, they make very little sense.

[analog]

I see a lot of nurses wearing them, so they must be really comfortable... but, damn, they're ugly. (the shoes, not the nurses... some of those are kind of alright )

[Ustwo]

Originally Posted by Redlemon

So, to summarize, everyone who has posted so far falls into one of the following two categories:

(1) I've never tried them, and I hate them.
(2) I've tried them, and I like them.

This seems like a great point.

Then I realized the same thing could be said in a thread about bestiality.

Liking crocs is like zoophillia. Just say no!

[clavus]

According to The Daily Show, if you see someone wearing crocks, that is a code for "I like hardcore anal sex in public bathrooms."

[Bossnass]

I feel like an indie-music snob talking about knowing a band before they were popular, but I've had a pair of 'crocs' going on six or seven years. They aren't croc brand though, are 'scrub green', and they were given to me by a friend's dad who is a surgeon (he and all his son's feet were too large). They aren't as squishy as modern crocs, but I prefer to have the arch support and think they are pretty comfy; they are my cooking/working around the house shoes.

[ratbastid]

I'm in the "have a pair of croc knock-offs that I've worn the hell out of and will probably replace with a pair of the real deal soon" camp. I think they're kinda cool looking. You wouldn't wear them to church, obviously, but for knocking around in, they're no uglier than some sandals.

Hey Ustwo: don't knock bestiality until you've tried it!

[squeeeb]

Originally Posted by clavus

According to The Daily Show, if you see someone wearing crocks, that is a code for "I like hardcore anal sex in public bathrooms."

Originally Posted by Ustwo

This seems like a great point.

Then I realized the same thing could be said in a thread about bestiality.

Liking crocs is like zoophillia. Just say no!

not to veer too far from the topic, but if you like hardcore anal bestiality in public bathrooms, do crocs work for that, or do you need another shoe?

[Miss Mango]

I honestly dont understand them.
The first time I saw them was in the Florida Keys. I went on a snorkel dive and the two people in charge on the boat were wearing them.

I understand that. They\'re waterproof and good if you live an outdoor lifestyle....but to wear them as a pure fashion statement in the mall or to class is just weird.

I dont really like the look of them. The kids ones are cute with the little button things, but the the boy I babysit is constantly losing his.

Id probably wear them as a kid, but definitely dont plan on buying them as an adult.

[fresnelly]

Curious. My wife recently went to get fitted for othotics and the Podiatrist said that Crocs, despite their comfort, have lousy arch support. In the end they may be bad for you.

[SSJTWIZTA]

simple math

Chucks>Crocks

[Bill O'Rights]

Originally Posted by squeeeb

not to veer too far from the topic, but if you like hardcore anal bestiality in public bathrooms, do crocs work for that, or do you need another shoe?

I find that lace up work boots are the shoe of choice, in this situation. Just unlace the boots, keep your feet in them, and put the animal's back legs into the boot. It keeps 'em from runnin' away.

What?

[DumberThanPaint]

It's great that they are comfortable and all, but wouldn't you rather have a shoe with the benefits of crocs that doesn't look like crap? I guess if I suffered from cankles wearing crocs would seem like a good idea, but I don't so I'd rather not run the risk of looking like a douchenozzle

[Ustwo]

Originally Posted by Bossnass

I feel like an indie-music snob talking about knowing a band before they were popular, but I've had a pair of 'crocs' going on six or seven years. They aren't croc brand though, are 'scrub green', and they were given to me by a friend's dad who is a surgeon (he and all his son's feet were too large). They aren't as squishy as modern crocs, but I prefer to have the arch support and think they are pretty comfy; they are my cooking/working around the house shoes.

Back in 'the day' those were called grandma gardening shoes.

It doesn't make you a snob, it just means you were a dork earlier

[Plan9]

We should give all of them to shoeless Afghan children.

[hunnychile]

Originally Posted by willravel

They're horrible. The Ford Pinto of the shoe world.

They are the ugliest shoes I've ever seen. even if they're comfy, they are still butt ugly not matter what color they are.

DunberThanPaint has the best link I've seen in ages: http://www.magnificentbastard.com/features/toolbag

[StellaLuna]

Just to pipe in-- yeah, the regular crocs are pretty icky. But they're making some downright adorable babydoll shoes now.

[ngdawg]

I have no use for them, but a friend swears by them-a couple years back we'd noticed a lot of people wearing them while we were in Gatlinburg and we agreed, nofuckinway....
Not long after, her mother had seen them and bought her a pair and she was hooked.
As for Uggs...I wear RocketDog knock-offs that are soooooooo comfortable, I bought a second pair before the first ones wore out and my daughter ended up doing the same thing. I can wear them barefoot and still be warm.

[noodle]

i hate looking at them.
even on small children.
they're hideous.
and impractical in florida where it rains all the time.
and your feet smell like sweaty plastic.
or stinky wet socks.
and plastic.
they're repulsive.



dang, i wish i'd invented them.
i'd be rich.

[Slavakion]

Also, one of the selling points of crocs (or so I've heard) is that they're very breathable because of the circular holes all along the front. However, companies are now selling little button-type inserts for the holes for about a buck apiece. So, essentially, you're turning a comfortable, breathable shoe into a rubber sweathouse in warm weather. =\

[ratbastid]

Originally Posted by fredweena

and your feet smell like sweaty plastic.
or stinky wet socks.
and plastic.

That's not true. Well, the socks maybe, but the plastic of the crocs themselves doesn't retain odors.