The Budget Babe | Affordable Fashion & Style Blog

Love It or Leave It: Crocs

Ok, let's get this over with.

Crocs are the shoes that fashionistas everywhere love to hate. They're clunky, funky and all-around offensive to our sense of aesthetics...and yet, people seem to love 'em.

It was only after we actually held said Crocs in our own two hands that we understood their appeal: They are quite literally as light as a feather. We're talking marshmallow light, no joke. In case you've never picked one up, give it a try. You'll be shocked.

So this makes Crocs comfortable, and the same special substance that makes the shoes featherlight (it's not quite foam, not quite plastic) also wicks away sweat and resists odors.

Crocs are so popular that they've even inspired some to create accessories specifically designed for adorning your crocs, with a brand called Jibbitz taking the lead. They're basically small charms that fit into the holes on Crocs. Kudos to the mom who invented these things and then sold her company to Crocs, but these trinkets should really be reserved for kids.

Which brings us to our conclusion: Crocs are super cute on young children and toddlers, but ridiculous on grownups. We don't begrudge those who choose to wear them—on the contrary, we kind of admire their chutzpah.

But personally, we did enough damage when we bought Birks, and we're not about to make another fugly shoe mistake with Crocs.

What do you think about Crocs? Love 'em or leave 'em?


Comments
nope - keep 'em - ugly ugly ugly.
plastic shoes - ugh!
remember the 'jellies' of the 80's?
good for kids to wear in the rain, but i hear there's all sorts of accidents kids are getting into because of crocs.
grownups can wear them, but only for working in the garden!
ha ha ha
:-)
#1 maggie z on 2007-08-20 07:22 (Reply)
I agree! they are so fugly!!!! and if you have slender feet you could never wear them without breaking your ankle! For the heck of it I tried on a pair, and with my slender foot i had like an inche on either side for my foot to move around- that can really cause problems! Not to mention they're just hideous. As for children, sure they may be easy to get on, but they are dangerous! Barf!
And, omg, have you seen the new styles of them they are making to make them more "fashionable"- they're still hideous!!!! Why can't the fashion world have enough sense to just combine the sole of the hideous shoe and the look of the pretty one? Why are footwear options so black and white?
#2 Peaches (Homepage) on 2007-08-21 13:07 (Reply)
LOL! you must've been reading my mind -- crocs are number one on my current "ewww" list. adorable on little kids, but aren't they bad for your feet? hmm. fugly on everyone else. i saw a grown man wearing purple ones. yikes!
#3 cathy (Homepage) on 2007-08-21 14:10 (Reply)
hahahaha! Speaking of grown men wearing them, my friend's (now) ex-boyfriend used to wear them on dates!!!! I like to think its one of the reasons their relationship ended.... :-P
#4 Peaches (Homepage) on 2007-08-21 16:47 (Reply)
i bet he also watched 'teletubbies'
ha ha ha
:-)
#4.1 maggie z on 2007-08-21 16:55 (Reply)
Worse! He was a jock! Which reminds me, did you ladies know that Crocs have come out with a line of NFL (football) team crocs so now the guys can wear crocs in their team colors! Vomit! Just image those drunken fools in crocs! EEEW! Someone save us from this plague!
#5 Peaches on 2007-08-22 10:46 (Reply)
They've also created fur-lined crocs, but we wouldn't dare post a pic...wouldn't want our readers to go blind!
#5.1 The Budget Babe on 2007-08-22 19:17 (Reply)
i'm going to go against the consensus here and defend the croc. i own a pair and they are bar none the most comfortable shoes i have. sure, i will retire them eventually and they aren't the most effeminate footwear, either. but, in traditional colors, i still love 'em.
#6 romi on 2007-08-24 16:03 (Reply)
See, that's why you have to resist buying them in the first place! Once you succumb to their comfort, you'll never see them for what they truly are! hehehe ;-)
#6.1 The Budget Babe on 2007-08-26 22:38 (Reply)
I must also defend the crocs.

Yes they're ugly but it's not what they look like that really matters. They're the best thing my feet have ever felt, and that's all I care about. I've never really cared about what I looked like ever before, so why start now?

I'll be wearing crocs even after they go out of style. That's how awesome they are.
#7 Beau (Homepage) on 2007-08-28 04:21 (Reply)
Oh... I must agree with you on the Jibbitz. Leave 'em for the kids (girls, specifically). Jibbitz lose their appeal after the age of 9.
#7.1 Beau (Homepage) on 2007-08-28 04:22 (Reply)
i don't believe you. (tee hee) everyone cares what they look like. even nuns in habits care what they look like (they can wear make up now i think). even when you wear the crocs, you could be wearing old-lady orthopedic shoes if it's just the comfort you're after. but you choose crocs as a fashion statement AND for the comfort.
:-)
#7.2 maggie z on 2007-08-28 14:48 (Reply)
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