Don't Feed the Crocs!
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Mens Brown Sport Sandals - Size 12
Price: $23.99
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crocs Beach Clog
Price: $29.95
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Men's Fleece Indoor/Outdoor Clog Slippers
Price: $30.00
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crocs Women's Olivia Sling Back Flat,Brown,7 M
Price: $25.49
List Price: $29.95 |
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Crocs Olivia Sandals for Women - Available in Many Colors!, Size: 8 Womens, Color: Black
Price: $29.99
List Price: $29.99 |
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crocs Women's Malindi Flat Slingback,Silver,6 M
Price: $14.89
List Price: $29.95 |
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crocs Women's Alice Mary Jane,Chocolate,10 M
Price: $18.86
List Price: $34.95 |
The Shoe That Wouldn't Die
Remember Jellies?
Jellies were brightly colored plastic see-through footwear that looked as though they were made of edible strands of penny candy. Jellies started out as footwear for little girls but quickly spread through the adult female population like a contagious virus.
Well, Crocs are the Jellies of the 21st Century. If a jelly fell in love with a Birkenstock and got pregnant, it would give birth to a Croc: the Poor Woman's Birkenstock.
The difference between Crocs and Jellies is mainly one of durability. Crocs are the Shoe That Would Not Die, and I mean that both in the literal sense and the fashion sense.
Crocs are durable and last for (almost) forever, and Crocs also refuse to go away no matter how many 'fashion experts' bash them as ugly, clunky, and just plain tacky. Hospitals can ban them, cubicle dwellers can be chastised again and again, Clinton and Stacy can be snarky as they wanna be, and still women wear their Crocs, and wear 'em, and wear 'em...
Listen, no one cares how they look. And here's why:
Women today are busy and broke. Pretty shoes are a good times addiction: These are not good times. A single pair of indestructible Crocs can go almost anywhere except the opera, and how many women these days spend a lot of time at the opera?
Here's a sample day for me:
5:30 am--Get up, let the dog out, check email, see Bill off to work.
7:00 am--walk dog through wet grass in large park.
8:00 am--freelance writing, house cleaning, laundry.
1:00 pm--Errands, all over town, with or without dog.
4:00 pm--start supper or at least plan it, weed garden, water garden.
5:00 pm--take a break, watch the news
6:00 pm--eat, walk dog again. move hose around garden.
7:00 pm--Bill returns, feed him and dog.
9:00 pm--start nodding off on couch.
10:00 pm--zzzzzzzz....
Yeah I need to do THAT in heels!
Seriously, Crocs are a sturdy, sensible shoe that take a woman through whatever needs to be done without causing sore feet. In the winter you wear socks with 'em, in the summer you don't. Are they glamorous? No.
Does anyone care?
No.
Even nurses wear Crocs. (A point of some contention in many hospitals if my sources are telling me the truth.) When nurses swear by the comfort of any given piece of footwear, you know it has to feel good.
I personally still love shoes. The less practical the better.
But when I need to actually get stuff done, Crocs are just the ticket.
A Blast From the Past
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Skechers Women's S Lights Crowning Jelly Shoes,Smoke,7 M US
Price: $25.45
List Price: $29.00 |
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MIA Women's Jelly Bean Flat,Violet,9 M US
Price: $28.99
List Price: $39.95 |
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Grendha Women's Show Sandal-Jellies,Silver,8 M
Price: $18.86
List Price: $26.95 |
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Capezio - Toddler Girls Jelly Tap Shoe, Pink (Size 8Toddler)
Price: $11.90
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Commercial Hub Warning
Just so you know, I've decided to test out Mark Knowles advice and try writing a few commercial hubs that pair well with merchandise. I know, that's very Capitalist of me. I'm just trying it on for size (so to speak).
I actually do like some kinds of merchandise myself, so hopefully, I'll be able to combine my efforts at monetizing my hubs with half a gram of honesty, but I'm not promising anything. I do happen to think Crocs are awesome. I do still love impractical footwear as well.
Those of you who are used to my other hubs (which don't sell anything), may want to skip these commercial ones.
Unless, of course, you need a pair of Crocs.
Hey, we all have to eat. :)
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Comments
Hi Amy--They aren't cheap, you're right. But compared to the $100-$200 you'd pay for a pair of Birkenstocks they're pretty reasonable. Plus, they last forever. Thanks for your comment. You're absolutely right--lots of great colors and styles and they are good for your feet and body too. :)
I love my Croc's, they are the most comfortable shoes I have...$39.00 well spent! Good article PG...
Not only nurses approve of them, I spoke also with some waitresses and they say the same ;-) SY
Apart from my fella who lives and dies in Teeva sandals all summer, we are a family of croc converts. I just got back from a long weekend in Paris with my daughter, and we must have walked between ten and fifteen miles a day, and all in our crocs. They're the most comfortable shoes I've ever owned!"
Great job on your first time venture into commercial hubs.
I just cannot seem to get into these shoes at all. They are kind of annoying to me maybe because I see them everywhere. I felt the same way about birkenstocks too. Just not my thing.
Hi Nancy, Sybill, and Amanda--I know, I think it's a good thing. Women have been wearing torturous shoes for so long. Why shouldn't we at least have ONE pair that actually feels good and is functional? lol! I think they're great. :)
Hi Triplet Mom-- I do know what you mean. They're not for everyone. I kind of like both worlds--I have heels and Chuck Taylors and even a pair of 1940s Red Cross pumps! I love shoes. If I was rich I'd be Imelda Marcos--but lucky for my closet, I'm not. :)
Until an accident that left me with a metal plate and six screws holding my left leg and ankle together, I too was a shoe-a-holic -- comfort meant nothing over fashion. While I still miss those days, the Crocs rox and going through life on top of sponge angels is like having wings. Great hub.
I found an interesting alternative to crocs, which is a flip flop that doesn't flop, but has an inset of soft, spongy comfort and broad bands to keep your foot happy. Made by Marlin. They are the deep south choice, I guess!
Hey Jerilee--I have a similar story. Never cared about flats until I started to fall a lot in my 50s. Stopped wearing heels and heeled shoes with no backs and presto! No more falls. Plus, in the past year or two I've been getting some pain in my hands and feet and swelling--looks like some kind of arthritic thing. It's been slowly getting worse. Comfy shoes are important to me now in a way they weren't when I was younger.
Teresa--Those sound great, and in fact I think I know exactly the ones you mean. They have little spongy finger-like thingies on the soles, no? At any rate, you definitely want to the cooler option (as in temperature cooler) when you live in the southern U.S. Thanks for dropping by. We'll see how this 'Pam as Advertiser Hawking Stuff' approach goes. I'm not going to ONLY do that--but I'm going to stick my toe--er, my Crocs--in the water. :)
I've had my Crocs for close to 3 years, and love them. No heels for me because a toe injury has left me with no flexibility in that joint. The runners and flats I wore for years cost probably 3 times what I paid for my crocs, and are a lot less comfortable.
Let us know how the commercial hubs work out for you. You did a great job on this one.
Thanks No Limits Nana! I'll definitely write about how these commercial hubs work after I've done several of them and given them some time to 'cook'. I'm trying to research the keywords in my titles a bit better (in other words, at all) too. :)
Crocs actually come in a really cute maryjane style too which I love! They were great when I worked as a project management assistant on a construction site and wanted to look cute but had to have shoes that I could spray the mud off of.
I've succumbed to crocs too... My only concern is what kind of plastic are they made out of and am I absorbing that through my feet...? :-(
However, they are very durable and very comfortable... and when you are moving through a day that can include: weeding the garden, laundry, grocery shopping, hitting the park with a kid or two, walking to the library (with the same kid or two), and a thousand other things, crocs are to live by... LOL.
Such a cute article! (And who cares if you're trying to make a little dough--all editorials are slanted anyway.) Crocs are awesome, for all the reasons you named, plus it's like buying an insurance policy for a pedicure. Hard to chip your polish when your foot is being held captive inside a padded, rubber room. Personally, I love the way my toes can bounce around in there under virtually any conditions without getting injured. In my opinion, it's just good sense, which is rarely in fashion, but, as you said, fashion is a bonified luxury these days. I mean, let's face it: We're all just a chipped toe nail away from filing bankruptcy.
I thought they were kind of kid-looking and had no idea why women like them or why they're advertised all over the place, but you're telling me they're indestructible and comfortable.
Good luck on the commercial hubs, you managed to make the topic of women's shoes funny enough that I read and enjoyed it when I have absolutely no interest, ever, in buying any. I can understand that other people have hobbies I'm not interested in, so I sort of think of women's interest in pretty shoes and fashion as something like my need to have ALL the colors that Sennelier makes oil pastels in (and maybe someday all the colors in soft pastels too, I can dream of that honking big 525 color wood box set...)
I laud you for finding a way to make it work and justify them. If you do enough pretty-shoes articles maybe you can budget some for yourself and buy them for review purposes the way I do with cool art supplies.
I have two pairs, [greedy I know] and I have to say the most comfortable footwear around.
Cennywenny--Exactly! Hose-able shoes are nothing to sniff at. Come fall I'll do a hub on my Ranger insulated rubber boots. God, they're the BEST!
Monique--There's an opportunity lurking in that question--Crocs made of recycled plastic products that won't hurt you! I mean, we have to do something with that stuff besides bury it (it never degrades). Might as well put it on our feet (it never degrades! lol!)
Trips--You gave me my laugh of the day when you said, "We're all just one chipped toe nail away from bankruptcy." God, I laughed out loud! So true, so true. Thanks!
Robert--I'm flattered that this was able to hold your interest. I think women's interest in fashion is changing. Practicality counts for more than it once did, which I think is a good thing. I'll let you know how the commercial effort goes--we'll see!
Hawkesdream--Not greedy at all. A dress pair and a casual pair, right? lol! thanks for stopping by. :)
Never owned any and never had any interest. However, I just might have to click on something up there and try them out. You've just about sold me, and I'm tough to convince. What a great launch into a PGrundy commercial Hub. I think I'm seeing some well practiced advertising copywriting skills plied here. Great job, fun read!
Hi Sally's Trove! Thanks for the encouraging words. I think if you try them you actually will like them, and it's true--you'll have them forever. I've been spending more time on freelance work than HP, but after talking to some hubbers for a few months about it, I'm just about convinced that working harder on Adsense and Amazon revenue is a better place to spend my time, and whatever I write is still mine that way. I'm still doing the freelance work, but I'm gonna try this too at least. Thanks again for the vote of confidence! :)
Even a guy can see the appeal of these - maybe a camouflage pair!
Like Sally said, since YOU wrote this, I'm tempted to try them...but...well, even my 17 yo daughter thinks they are ugly! LOL! Since I work from home, sitting on my ever-widening butt, I guess I don't need comfy shoes enough to get over it :-)
bobjones--That's a great idea. We wouldn't be able to see your feet though! (They'd blend in?)
dineane--I definitely can relate to the working at home widening butt thing! lol! I'm working on it though... :)
Ohhh God Id almost forgotten about the jellie shoes ( if ya could them shoes ,lol) and now I relise why I thought yuk! when crocs hit the scene !, but I can feel myself seriously weakening ,'dont judge it til ya try it' right?, besides when the CVS display their cheerful color range of croc's for $10 who am I to turn up my nose,eat ya heart out Imelda ..haha
Hi eaglekiwi--Yes, my girls loved jellies when they were little. They weren't very comfortable though. I guess there will always be plastic shoes of some kind. We sure have plenty of plastic!
Love your sense of humor! I, too, thought, "Ewwww UGLY!" My feet, however, thought otherwise. My sister gave me my first pair: pastel pink (fuschia would have been better heheh) and just a tad too large, but fine for outside (garden/lawn). More than likely others are aware that after cleaning the Crocs a quick application of Armor All (yes, the "new tire look" stuff) will do wonders for the Crocs ... they'll look practically brand new! Good luck to you, pgrundy, and keep up the good work.
Thanks ittykay! They do grow on you, don't they? I appreciate your positive comments. Thanks for stopping by. :)
Glad you've gone commercial, rake it in Pam.
A day or so ago I watched a video on Ted, a guy talking about the sea of plastic literally in our oceans. Are these shoes recyclable?
Hi Jewels--I just checked and according to the manufacturer, they are indeed fully recycable. I've also noticed that many shoe manufacturers are starting to make their shoes out of recycled plastic, leather, and cloth items. You know what? That would make a cool hub!
Whoops - I didn't realise that they are so popular - frankly I think they are horrible. I do like that they are recyclable though - that is excellent. Also, I agree about the horrible plastic jellies from the past - personally I wear all recyclable (and vegan) clothes and shoes - the cost is about the same as usual stuff - and they last as long. Really good article - we should promote use of recyclable clothes and shoes for all tastes.
Thanks Iphigenia--I appreciate your comment. I think I will work on a hub on eco-friendly and recycable shoes and clothing. Like you say, they're not any more expensive and it's better all around. :)
I've been considering a pair of Crocs myself but cannot decide if they will be comfy enough for me
Crocs are the comfiest shoes I've found. I bought some for my daughter and she rarely wore them. So, I tried hers one rainy day because there is nothing about them to get messed up by water. I was sold. They were so comfy and I find it hard not to wear them now. I just wish they were cuter. I may have to switch to the Mary Jane's someone above mentioned. I've seen them online, but haven't found them locally yet.
OMG....I just went to check some Crocs out online and found a new style called "Olivia"....they are so cute! You might want to add an Ebay or Amazon module for Olivia Crocs Pgrundy!
Ethel--Give them a try. They're pretty comfy, I think you'll like them.
KCC--Thanks for the tip! I'll check it out. I did notice the mary jane style too--cute, cute, cute. :)
Pgrundy....your hub and the mention of the Mary Jane's made me do some research on new Croc styles and I found so many cute ones I couldn't help but write a hub about it. I did give you credit for my discovery and provided links both to your profile as well as this hub. Thanks for assisting me in that discovery. I have to buy me some new Crocs!
Hi KCC--Yay! The more the merrier. Here's KCC's link:
pgrundy, I had to laugh out loud when I read about the jellys and the Birkenstocks! And you are so right, nurses love them! If all your "commercial" hubs are this enjoyable, you can be sure I will not miss one. :D
Thanks k@ri! I had fun with this one. I hope they are at least tolerable. :)
Pgrundy, again, wonderful hub on a topic I find most 'comfortable.' Not only nurses find Crocs a 'must have', so does many of us college students...easiest to get in and out of in a hurry. Especially waking up in the nick of time to make it to that 10.30 am class!
Good to see you Am I dead yet! The sisterhood of the Croc seems to be much larger than I imagined! Thanks for your comment.
They sure are comfy tho.....I even got a pair with something like 'terry cloth' in 'em, you know for when it's cold----can't seem to take them off.
Amy Steidinger says:
5 months ago
Not sure about crocs being the poor women's answer, depending on what you usually spend on shoes - since they run $30 to $40, but i did want to add that there are dozens of styles, many of them very stylish and flattering. Some really cute sandals and options that have low heels. Also, there is a medical aspect to crocs - chiropractors recommend them because they are wonderful for your back.