Fashion has a habit of trolling us with outrageous garments. Crotchless trousers, see-through jeans, ridiculously expensive designer paperclips—all of the aforementioned are very real items sold in the not too distant past. But I’d wager no piece garners as much controversy as the Croc. They are undeniably a divisive topic of conversation and easily the most Marmite shoe of the modern world. I hate to break it to you but they’re making a comeback for 2021, and I know a lot of people aren’t going to be happy about this. When researching this piece, I decided to ask our readers over on the So… Should I Buy This? Facebook group if they love or loathe Crocs and almost unanimously over 60 people replied loathe. Or, as one member so eloquently put it “The little holes are where your dignity seeps out”.
The things is, when styled right I can’t seem to get it out of my head that they actually look good. First, I saw US editor Laurel Pantin wearing the white Crocs with strawberry print during the summer, and I thought they looked cute worn with jeans and a T-shirt. These even became so popular they sold out. But then there were others. Out came the uber-cool influencers who wore bold yellow Crocs with bright orange jackets. Or with purple dresses and beige blazers. Suddenly, Crocs become cool.
This surge in popularity isn’t just anecdotal or some kind of delirium brought on by too much Instagram. According to global fashion search platform Lyst’s 2020 report, these shoes are the the eighth most wanted item in the world, with average monthly searches for Crocs hitting a total of 135,000. True, our response to dressing during the pandemic has meant we’ve steered towards more comfortable pieces—it’s no surprise that Birkenstocks’ Arizona sandals are number two on that list or that Nike’s joggers are fourth. But, I’d wager that our love of dressing more comfortably isn’t going to change the moment the clock strikes midnight on December 31st. Of course, this isn’t the first time fashion has tried to make Crocs popular. Both Christopher Kane in 2017 and Balenciaga in 2018 created high fashion versions of the shoe, with the former offering a marbled and bejewelled Croc and the latter a platform style in bright block colours. However, this time influencers love them, as do the A-list. Ariana Grande, Pharrell Williams and Justin Bieber have been seen wearing the trustiest of squeaky flats. We already know the fashion industry loves Crocs, so now with the Instagram crowd and celebrities onboard, we’ve reached the holy trinity and the tipping point for a trend to go mainstream, which is why I’m convinced 2021 will be the year of the Crocs. While I realise that’s still going take a bit to win some people over, I think this reader’s comment sums it up: “I’ll probably see them loads on insta over springtime styled really well and by summer I’ll have converted and be wearing them”. And that, dear readers, is how fashion works. Keep scrolling to see Crocs in action and then go on to see the ones you can shop right now.
Style Notes: I almost don’t realise that the shoes I’m staring at here are Crocs. The pairing of the purple and yellow together is genius, and I won’t hear anyone say a bad word against this outfit.
Style Notes: Another stellar combination. This time the orange and the yellow colours make this look feel so fun.
Christopher Kane spring/summer 2017 runway
Balenciaga spring/summer 2018 runway
Justin Bieber wearing yellow Crocs, socks and a pair of shorts and matching shirt.
Pharrell Williams wears yellow Crocs with socks.
Ariana Grande wears her white Crocs with socks and a black jumper dress.
