what is up with crocs?
 

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.

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. :shakehead:

:thumbsdown:

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

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

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.

I'm a dork that wears them. :D 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.

What are crocs? I'm fashion illiterate.

They're horrible. The Ford Pinto of the shoe world.
http://allisonkaplansommer.blogmosis...cayman_PNK.jpg

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...

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

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.
http://img63.imageshack.us/img63/781...ilversmsa5.jpg

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.

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.

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

They're even popular here in Iceland... :eek:

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..

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.

:orly:

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.

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.

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.

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 :thumbsup:)

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!

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

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.

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! ;)

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 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.

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.

simple math

Chucks>Crocks

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. :thumbsup:

What?:confused:

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

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 :)

We should give all of them to shoeless Afghan children.

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

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

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.

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.

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. =\

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

The first person I ever saw wearing them was someone I really don't like. From that day forward crocs already bear a taint.

I made it very clear that nobody in my family (if they want to stay in my family) can wear them.

I just found out that my daughter had a pair given to her when they were in Toronto and I was away for a year. Thankfully, they didn't bring them over with them.

Hideous shoes. People wearing them outside of kitchens, are begging to be mocked.

As with other such fads...I reserve the right to point and laugh uncontrolably.

I like 'em for roadtrips - slip em off while in the car and on when you need to get out. They're comfy and easy. Kinda like flip flops, but better.

We knew a guy who had a bright yellow pair. We always laughed at his "clown shoes".

If they're THAT comfy, then for God's sake, get a neutral colored pair.....

Don't own a pair, don't care too....

-Will

LOL
The pinto of shoes...well when I got certified to sail...my fellow students wore them on the boat and said they were great because they gripped well. As for a personal decision...no, college students just don't wear crocs. Simply no.

A lot of my students this summer wore them, younger kids 5 - 10 just thought they were all the rage. Whatever...not my thing.

Yes, they are ugly plastic blocks.

sorry, i wasn't clear.
the feet retain the odor.
of plastic and sweat.
i've smelled croc feet.
they're worse that jelly-shoes-feet from the 80s.
if you're wearing socks,
then the socks and the feet smell like sweat and plastic.

Crocs are for comfort. I would compare them to the old AMC pacer. Remember that one. Picture a fish bowl that you can drive. Birkenstocks and Crocs are more comfortable to me than going barefoot.

I think the bottom line on Crocs (as demonstrated in this thread) is this: if you've ever had them actually on your feet, you love them. And if not, you can't imagine why anybody would ever want a pair.

haha, then I'll never know because I love my feet too much to put them in those things. I have a foot fetish..don't judge me. :)

I'm sure that pleated, elastic waist pants are comfy too, but that doesn't mean I'd wear them...

I get that crocs are good for boaters and people who work in kitchens and such. And if that's what you want them for, I say go for it; hell, I get function over form. Outside of that specialized purpose though, I do not understand it. I have a pair of shoes that are quite comfortable and don't look like... well, that. The Ford Pinto of shoes, indeed.

I've never worn them so I don't know how they feel on the feet. I do know the reason that I've never worn them. They are FUGLY! Anything that forces you to shuffle your feet as you walk doesn't appeal to me and when you look like a block of swiss cheese that's gone peacock I aint putting you on my feet...

Wasn't President Bush caught wearing them?

That is reason enough to NOT wear them.

Hunh?

have you ever watched someone walk while wearng them? they clomp along like a baby pachyderm... flip flops cause th shuffle - crocs people clod along... very graceless...

+1

My sister-in-law's chronically unemployed husband was the first person I ever saw with them (well maybe not the first but I blame him for my dislike of them) and now I can't stand them. I thought the shoes to be little improvement over the filthy house slippers he normally wears in all situations.

However from what I understand they are quite comfortable and I can see that makes them excellent for people who work on their feet all day such as nurses and whatnot. then again, people who work on their feet all day are employed and thus I'm not biased against them as I am my sister-in-law's chronically unemployed husband

I walk perfectly normally in mine...

Does this make Crocs the Macs of footwear?

it tends to be more women that have the clomping problem them men do...

Same here. However, if I flip the ankle strap foward, basically converting the Croc into a clog, I'm not sure I could make the same statement. Maybe that's what was seen.

Pretty much.

Only macs look good and are over priced.

Crocs make you look like a retard, but are cheap.

:lol: Thanks for the clarification, Ustwo.

I got this pair for my toddler son:

http://www.zappos.com/images/729/729...9-368140-d.jpg

They are great for kids because they're super comfy, easy to slip on/off, and incredibly easy to clean. Hell, I think I even threw them in the dishwasher once.

I had a pair that I used at work (daycare) because they're soft and super comfy, and because I could clean them very easily. I don't actually wear them in public, though.

I would probably wear these out and about, however:

http://www.surfanddirt.com/nofear/as...KIAFNMCEFt.jpg

Some of their shoes are definitely ugly, but some are just fine :)

I never thought that dishwasher safe should be a prerequisite for a pair of shoes - were they top rack only or can they take the full heat of the dishwasher :)

I'm all about comfort when it comes to my feet, so I really don't care what the shoe looks like. I never knew that people had such strong negative opinions about these shoes until I started reading this thread. Anyway, to get to the point. I kept seeing crocs on feet and in the stores and thought they looked comfy. Maybe it's my foot, but they were not comfortable, I couldn't walk in them, and I couldn't wait to get them off my foot. I'll just stick to my sloggers.

LOL, this thread entertains me. There are a couple of guys here who have them as shower shoes. Before I came here I mostly saw them on college students and children. The "original" model of crocs that most people think about are ugly as hell, but they have a few styles that aren't quite as atrocious. I would never wear the "cayman" style though (original)... even as a shower shoe.

As for the foot stink, dont blame the crocs. The material they are made out of has anti-microbial properties and prevents (as best it can) stinkfoot. Some people just have nasty feet though.

Apparently there is a croc boot now. I wonder if it'd be good for snowbound adventures. Strange... Oh and my vote for ugliest corc? The "islander":

Now those look like the duck shoes that LL Bean sold back in the early 80s - genereally in obnoxiously bright colors with the leather upper...

Yeah, I remember the duck shoes. I never liked them. If I knew then that they'd lead to the above abominations, I'd have disliked them even more.

O-M-F-G... this thread got me looking at the various croc styles and this stuck out...


...


...


wow

I haven't noticed too many of them. Then again, I am oblivious to fashion.

^ You live in Portland, OR & you haven't seen anyone wear them? They are the official shoe of the white liberal upper income 'outdoors' person - which in Boulder, CO is the largest demographic. On top of that - Crocs was created & headquartered here.

For those that hate seeing them - every now & then - welcome to my world, I see them EVERYWHERE!

I concur, very peculiar! What a bizarre topic for the entire TFP to be so closed minded about, and absolutely not letting a flood of first-hand accounts with a single dissent among them sway their ignorant preconceptions.:no:

Crocs aren't as common around these parts as Chacos or Tevas, say. The problem with wearing a shoe like Crocs in the PacNW, where it rains a lot, is that their classic model has holes in it that allow water into the shoe. Most of the people I know who wear them are people like my SO's aunt, a hairstylist. She stands on her feet all day and wants a comfy shoe.

I am aghast.

My wife bought a pair of pink ones for her trip to Cambodia.

I don't think it's an ignorant preconception issue. I'm quite convinced that they are probably very comfortable. Regardless, I also feel that, at least the "basic" style is ugly beyond sin. I might get a pair as shower shoes on my leave for the remainder of my deployment only because I detest the typical $2 pair of thong-style flip-flops. Also, the better coverage I can get for my feet in this god forsaken place (no, not Afghanistan... our SHOWERS!) the better. But I wouldn't be caught dead wearing a pair in public, or probably even around the house. Uck!

I'm in the never tried them, don't like them crowd. I think they're hideous. But I do know a woman who wears them because she has back problems. She has them in about every color.

For the most part though, I can't stand the shoes. Occasionally the wearers will get on my nerves. Case and point: I was at a theme park waiting in line and this young girl was wearing multi colored croc-knock offs. Right behind her were two other middle school girls, sporting their real crocs. This is a snippet of the croc-loving middle schoolers' snide remarks:
Girl with Pink Crocs: "Look at her, she's not even wearing real ones"
Girl with Green Crocs: "Yea, they don't even have the little logo on the side"
Girl with Pink Crocs: "She probably paid like five dollars for them"
Both laugh.

First of all, anyone who would pay more than $5 for them should probably get their priorities straight. Secondly, anyone who pays that close of detail to crocs should be shot. And lastly, I have a theory that they were just jealous that their crocs weren't multi-colored.

Crocs are just one more bad thing to come out of Boulder. I'm not even a total shoe snob, but gosh those things are awful.

Prejudice and snobbery. Never would have thought it, from TFP.

I will add that I think the croc company has been doing good things in the "giving back" department. They have a SolesUnited program which teamed up with the Dispatch Foundation and donated a recycled pair of crocs to the Dispatch Foundation's efforts in Zimbabwe for every pair bought on their website. Currently, they're donating $5 for Breast Cancer Research for every pair bought. So kudos to them. They may not be my cup of tea, but hey, to each his own.

I love my Crocs. Being a fat man, I love the fact that I don't have to bend down to tie my shoelaces. They are very easy to slip on and off and they don't randomly fall off feet like sandals. When I leave them outside overnight and it rains, I just have to shake it off before putting it on. And they are quite comfy. Yes they are ugly, but I'm not trying to attract any mates either.

A hospital here in Toronto has banned them as they are not sanitary for nurses & doctors who could get body fluids dumped on their feet. All because of the holes in them.


I first saw these shoes when I was visiting my brother back in '04 who had a banged up dirty old white pair. He said that they were perfectly made for sea-kayaking because they floated, were light and didn't smell up your feet like sports sandals did.

Back then, though, they were known as Holey Soles, and didn't have a strap. More like a true clog. and had just opened up in Vancouver (off to google that name). I heard that Crocs was an American company that bought up Holey Soles.

ah, it's still Holey Soles, http://www.holeysoles.com/flashsite/aboutus.htm


so, maybe Crocs is a competitor/suitor of Holey Soles. At any rate, I have a black pair that I picked up that summer of '04 (free from the warehouse) and use around the house/yard. I find that in the winter, the snow gives me a soaker if I'm just running out to the garbage, or the BBQ...


Oh yes, you can now purchase "jewellry" for your Crocs/HS. they can be inserted into the holes like buttons.


Yes, Wayne's World car!


I worked in a kitchen. I wouldn't wear this in a kitchen, not with the risk of spilling something hot on my feet, or dropping a knife, cleaver or pot!

I wore real clogs (Holiday Inn cook in high school) in the kitchen. the wooden kind with leather uppers that were all the rage in '77. They barely afforded protection.

Not our fault your man card is in jeopardy wearing those things.

I'll bet a dress is more comfortable than pants, so its your next logical step :suave:

Yeah, they're hideous.

They sell a professional line of Crocs just for health care workers without holes in them, and in boring colors to boot.

I'd wear a kilt any day of the week. You're going to tell me a caber-tossing kilt-wearer is less a man than you, dentist boy? ;)

In crocks? You bet.

Might as well don your murse while you are at it.

Humans went from wearing very simple clothing to very extravagant clothing.


We're go back and forth... Crocs are at the lowest end of simple/lazy clothing. If you're too damn lazy to tie your shoes, you shouldn't leave the house.

I have crocs, klogs, and birkenstock clogs that look like crocs. I had the Birkenstocks and the Klogs long before the Croc craze. I also had a pair of Quarks which are similar. I am a chef though(see my name!) and I wear them to my job now in the Dr's office because they're sooo comfy and they match my scrubs!

They also fit my wide butt feet. :)

Other than work I wouldn't wear them I am far to shoe snobbish to do such a thing.

And Snowy is right, I have pairs with holes and without. When I work in restaurants I wear the solid kind. In boring black usually but I do have a nifty yellow pair(in solid) that I wear if I'm feeling sassy!

The kind with holes I have pink, yellow, black, pink with skulls and this brownish color.

Really if they weren't so comfy and skid resistant... I would never wear the things but they are SOOO comfy and when I have to stand on my feet for many hours there's noting I need more.

(imagines Crocs having animal faces on the end like tacky slippers)

(shivers)

From what I've read, these are good for wide feet.....

I may have to look into them.

crocs are hideous. fad is going to die very soon

Aren't Crocs simply glorified jelly shoes?

I know a surgeon who had shoes that looked like that (crocs without the holes) years ago. He said they were amazing for surgery. It was very hard for him to find them. I am sure that he would be interested to know that you can get Crocs without the holes now.

Cheap, comfy to stand in for a long time, and bodily fluids and guts wash right off.

crocs are great for wide feet but if you need support in them they suck! which is why you need to go for the ones without holes or get Klogs(maybe its Klogz) or Birkinstocks where you can insert supports. Crocs are much cheaper than the Birks though.