What’s Up With Crocs?

As summer arrives and COVID becomes a memory, life has started to get back to normal.  We are all getting out more. I don’t think I could handle another pandemic lockdown!  I just need some fresh air.

I was doing a little shopping for shoes and sandals for my kids.  Something that’s flexible that they can wear out with me and to the beach.  Something that doesn’t matter if it’s raining or hot and sunny.

As I was going from shoe store to shoe store, I noticed so many other parents buying Crocs for their kids.  That’s what I was planning to buy, but it looks like I wasn’t the only one with that idea.  I asked Steve Crews with PediDelight.com if he noticed any trends.

Steve said that he’d seen a surge in people searching for Crocs since the beginning of February.  There was a big spike and interest in Crocs last march when Crocs donated over 900,000 pairs of Crocs clogs to frontline healthcare workers.  

For the people that I talk to, they either love their Crocs or they hate them.  There don’t seem to be many who don’t have an opinion about Crocs.  There are several influencers who have partnered with Crocs to create signature styles like Justin Bieber and Bad Bunny.

The haters of Crocs will suggest that Crocs are bad for your feet.  You can read more about whether Crocs are good or bad for your feet here.

I was a Crocs convert when I was on an overnight canoeing trip.  I wanted something to wear on my feet in the canoe that would dry out when they got wet.  I found that the Crocs kept my feet warm.  If I stepped into the water then back into the canoe, my Crocs and feet would dry and warm up.  

They were great when I had to drag the canoe up along a muddy bank when we camped overnight along the river.  If my feet got dirty, I’d walk down to the river and rinse my Crocs and feet.  They were the most flexible and versatile sandal I’ve worn.  Also, they never got smelly.

The previous year, I had “leather style” sandals.  They stayed wet the whole canoe trip.  My feet didn’t smell good, and I always felt like I had something soggy attached to my feet.  My canoeing and camping experience was night and day different from year to year.

I was talking to a friend of mine about my experience canoeing and he wasn’t sure if Crocs were right for him.  He has bunions and wasn’t sure.  He asked, “Are Crocs good for bunions?” 

I had done some research before I purchased my Crocs and found several sources including the American Podiatric Medical Association who stated Crocs are good for people with bunions.  The large foot box offers adequate space.  The Croslite material that Crocs are made of provide support and cushioning and the rear start holds your foot firmly in place.

I have to admit that I wasn’t the biggest fan of them initially, but I was definitely sold when I wore them on that overnight camping and canoeing trip.