When I first saw Crocs I thought them hideous.
Then my mom bought a pair. She loved them. They were her gardening footwear.
She told me they are very, very comfortable and perfect for wide feet.
I have ridiculously wide feet. So wide that I’m precluded from buying many shoe brands.
Her endorsement forced me to overlook the ugly design and buy a pair.
Besides, by that point, so many people were wearing Crocs that it became a thing.
It’s funny how something once perceived as ugly can later be perceived as cool or hip (and vice versa).
I trotted off to the local Crocs store.
Found a pair liked.
I balked at the price. More like was appalled. WTF? $40 for rubber (or whatever Croslite material is that Crocs are made of).
I tried them on.
They felt amazing. Light. Roomy. Secure on my foot. I knew they would do the job.
Since that first pair I’ve gone through three pairs of Crocs.
That’s no mean feat. They last a long time.
I liked them so much I bought the faux fur-lined version for winter.
I now wear Crocs year-around.
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Related: 15 different types of shoes
Are traditional Crocs (clog-style) comfortable?
By traditional Crocs, I mean the following design, which is the clog design:
There are now many different types of footwear made by Crocs, but I suspect when most people inquire about Crocs, they mean the above clog style.
You bet they are. Crocs are very comfortable.
They are the most comfortable footwear I have or have ever had.
I wear them by default. Short of some formal affair that requires dressing up or playing some sport requiring proper athletic footwear, you’ll see me in my Crocs.
A couple of times per week I walk the 8 Km round-trip to work… in Crocs.
Roomy but secure
I love how roomy they are and I have wide feet. Nevertheless, they stay on my feet. It’s not like they’re slipping off. In fact, they stay on my feet better than flip flops (I also have Crocs flip flops).
Lightweight
Crocs weigh almost nothing which is another nice feature. It’s like walking on a light firm sponge.
Foot support
I’m not a podiatrist so I can’t comment on whether Crocs are good for people with foot problems. I’ve had no foot problems after wearing them for years almost daily but that doesn’t mean they won’t cause other folks problems. I’ve been foot-problem-free my whole live (other than looking for shoes that fit wide feet).
Easy to take on and off
I love that I don’t have to lace up or in any way use my hands to get Crocs on my feet. I just slip them on standing up and off I go. Same for taking them off.
Mind you, I seldom use the rear strap. I find I don’t need it and it gets in the way more often than not.
Durable
Yes, I’ve worn through Crocs. Not everyone can say that because they do last a long time. I just happen to wear them often and walk a lot. All-in-all they are a very durable shoe.
Our kids outgrow theirs before wearing them out.
Are Crocs stylish?
Haha, absolutely not. They’re ugly. I don’t care. I wear them with shorts mostly but I’ll wear my fuzzy Crocs with jeans in the winter.
If you need to dress it up a bit, Crocs aren’t the ticket.
Are Crocs good for swimming?
While they are waterproof and serve as decent protective footwear on rocks and barnacles, they are slippery as all get-out – so be careful if you wear them on wet rocks.
They also hinder swimming performance. However, if you’re just out in the water to cool off and aren’t swimming for exercise, they’re fine.
While not the ideal water shoe, I do end up wearing them in the water a lot.
Can you run in Crocs?
I run a bit playing with my kids but they are not made for running. They are actually hard to run in
What I don’t like about Crocs
While Crocs are great to wear, they aren’t perfect.
The biggest problem for me is that they are slippery on smooth surfaces.
I’ve had some near-disastrous falls wearing Crocs. My feet would slip right out from me. I know that now so am very careful on wet surfaces.
They’re also terrible for hiking on dirt trails, mud or anywhere that there could be slick surfaces. I still do hike in them on easier terrain, but I have to be careful.
Made from toxic material?
There are a number of websites that talk about how the material is toxic. It’s certainly not a natural material. It’s some proprietary synthetic material that Crocs calls Croslite. I read one site suggest that it’s made from crude oil. I don’t doubt it (but I also don’t know for sure).
I do get dry, scaly feet which some folks have suggested is a result of wearing Crocs. I do wear them mostly with bare feet. I’m not sure my excessively scaly, calloused feet is a result of Crocs. I’m certainly tempted to test this by not wearing them for a while. Even if it turns out Crocs contributes to scaly feet, I may very well still wear them.
Where do Crocs wear out first?
I’ve gone through three pairs.
Each pair I’ve worn through the toward the front where my front foot pad is. The pressure ultimately wears through the material.
However, it took a few years each time and I wear them a lot.
It’s fair to say that Crocs are a durable shoe.
Are Crocs safe for kids?
Our kids do wear them but there are many reports of kids getting seriously injured wearing Crocs while using escalators. That does make me nervous but kids can get hurt on escalators in other types of footwear as well. To deal with this I stand near them and ensure they jump when getting off to clear the end portion where the step folds underneath to avoid any chance of feet, shoelaces or shoe getting stuck.
Other than that and assuming your kids don’t have any skin reactions to Crocs (also reported online), they are in many ways the ideal summer footwear for kids. They are waterproof, comfortable, easy to put on and take off, nearly indestructible and they’re comfortable. Our boys love them.
As for whether they are good for feet generally, I’m not a podiatrist or foot expert so I can’t comment on that.
Can Crocs be washed as in go in the washing machine?
Actually, what’s great about Crocs is you can easily hose them off. That’s what we do. Dirt doesn’t grind in at all. It washes right off. Worst case scenario you scrub them with a brush.
But this blogger made a great point. What if you have 10 pairs of Crocs in the house. Do you want to scrub and hose 20 individual Crocs? Probably not.
The Crocs website says to NOT put them in the washing machine or dishwasher. The reason is because the heat will damage the material.
The above-mentioned blogger took a chance and put Crocs in a cold cycle washing machine and it worked great. Crocs came out clean and undamaged.
Are other styles of Crocs footwear good?
I have Crocs flip flops and the fuzzy Crocs for winter.
I love both.
The fuzzy Crocs are made from a harder material so they’re heavier. The faux-fur or fuzz is very warm and comfortable.
That said, the shoe itself still has holes in it so it’s not great to wear in the snow or rain.
Here’s what the fuzzy Crocs look like:
The flip flops are fabulous.
They also are made from a denser, heavier rubber (or whatever the material is) than the traditional Crocs.
Here’s are the Crocs flip flops I have:
