Crocs have made a fashion 180! Once known as arguably the ugliest shoes ever made, Crocs have recently become one of the fashionable shoes of choice. Fashion brands have fully embraced Crocs as the “cool kids’ shoe,” partnering with the footwear company for collaborations. An avid wearer of the Crocs himself, Justin Bieber has previously worked with the company as part of his fashion label Drew House. And many other celebrities have been associated with Crocs, like rappers Post Malone and Rico Nasty, for instance.
For some, the change in Crocs' reputation may be a bit of a head-scratcher, so it’s best to start from the beginning and see how Crocs went from being detested to one of the sought-out fashion pieces of today.
What Got Crocs To Become Chic?
According to USA Today, Crocs’ reputation from ugly to chic actually has its start on the runway with Scottish fashion designer Christopher Kane and his 2017 Spring/Summer Ready To Wear collection. Inspired partly by the “make do and mend” mindset of the 1940s, Kane dressed his models in an array of intricate neutral, and colorful fabrics and textures. Each of the models’ Crocs was decorated with geodes, which only seemed to add to the mended look Kane wanted his designs to portray.
Kane’s usage of Crocs as part of his collection certainly brought a lot of buzz to the shoes resulting in a lot of polarizing opinions about the footwear. But it did at least bring forth the idea of Crocs being potentially seen as chic. Though, many other factors have also played into Crocs growing popularity.
For one, the shoe company began to collaborate with many celebrities and fashion brands, bringing about several exclusive collections that garnered some people’s attention. Besides Crocs’ collaboration with Justin Bieber for Drew House, the shoe company has worked with Balenciaga, Lazy Oaf, Vera Bradley, and Saweetie just to name a few. In 2020, Crocs even landed a collab with KFC resulting in the creation of the fried chicken-themed Crocs, which SKIMS owner Kim Kardashian later wore in a popular Instagram story. These collaborations would only help Crocs make its move to becoming more recognizable in the fashion world.
Celebrities like Ariana Grande and Bella Hadid also contributed to Crocs becoming seen as chic as they would sometimes post pictures and videos wearing the shoe on their social media. In addition, the pandemic has contributed to the changes in how people dressed, with many opting to wear more comfy styles like loungewear instead of jeans, a T-shirt, and some sneakers. This makes sense given that more people were working from home at the time and Crocs, with its wide foot and easy-to-slip-on design, just happened to be the perfect comfy shoe to wear. Add onto the revival of Y2K fashion which Crocs just so happen to be part of, and soon the clog shoe landed in the spotlight as part of today’s “it” fashion.
So, how popular have Crocs been since Kane’s use of them in his fashion show? It’s pretty safe to say that Crocs have shed its uncool factor as according to TODAY, Crocs Inc.’s classic Clogs are the number one item on Amazon’s top bestsellers list for clothing, shoes, and jewelry. If you are curious or want to get a pair of your own Clogs, you can head over to Amazon and see for yourself.
Why Were Crocs Even Made In The First Place?
Similar to the cargo pants, which have also been revitalized as fashionable, Crocs were originally made for function and not so much for style. According to Footwear News, the famous Crocs that we know today were made in 2002 by Colorado natives Scott Seamans, Lyndon “Duke” Hanson, and George Boedecker, Jr. Crocs’ rubbery material and holes at the top made it practically stain and sweat-resistant for boaters—the shoe’s original target audience.
While the shoes were made with boaters in mind, medical professionals like nurses and doctors have also been popularly known to wear Crocs for the same easy-to-clean benefits and comfortability. And nowadays, many people wear Crocs from models dressing in casual wear like Kendall Jenner to wearers who want to show off their collection of Crocs charm accessories, Jibbitz.
If you're looking into creating your own collection of shoe charms, then try starting your search at the official Crocs website. There are plenty of fashionable and fun Jibbitz charms to pick and choose from like the Elevated Cow Girlie 3 Pack and the Trendy Jewelry 10 Pack.
Are Crocs Still Appearing On The Runway?
Crocs have shown up many times on the runway since its bold appearance in 2017. In fact, Crocs has been on the runway even before that, as the shoe company held its very own fashion show in June 2015. The show, wittily called the Funway Runway, made a splash as it was held at the rooftop pool of a Manhattan Holiday Inn and models wore eccentric costumes in addition to showing off the latest Crocs’ designs.
Outside designers have used Crocs for their fashion shows as well. Balenciaga, for example, is well-known for debuting the colorful platform Crocs during Paris Fashion Week in 2017. And that wasn’t the only time Crocs appeared on the runway or worked with the luxury fashion house. For Balenciaga’s Spring/Summer 2022 collection, a high-heeled version of the original Crocs shoe and rubber rain-like Croc boots showed up on the runway as the latest style creation between the two brands.
Beyond just Crocs, there have also been clog shoes similar to Crocs that have made their way to the runway. Italian luxury brand Bottega Veneta’s SALON 02 collection didn’t hold back from showcasing many dazzling and abstract designs, including their chunky clog-inspired heeled shoes.
Even though Crocs has its critics, with the shoe’s growing prominence on and off the runway, it seems like the love for the unflattering turned fashionable shoe doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon.
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