I am not one to give into fads. In fact, not only do I not give in, but I actively resist them. Since Evan has a bit of fad resistance in him as well, we have long ignored the excitement about Crocs; those funny looking, rubber shoes that you saw on your doctor’s feet the last time you went to the emergency room.
Why then, does our family own six pairs – four of which are mine?
Turns out that these shoes really are something to rave about.
In coming to Indonesia we heard from an expatriate here that Crocs were helpful to have. Supposedly they were comfortable to use in the heat and with the tile floors that all Indonesian houses are equipped with. Consequently, putting our previous prejudices aside, we trusted her advice and acquired our stash through ebay, GI Joes, and Craigslist. Even though we were both skeptical about Crocs, they are some of the best shoes we’ve ever purchased.
Though I never liked the look of them, it turns out that there are many different varieties; something for every… foot. Both Jeremiah and Evan have the Cayman style, while enjoy my Prima.
We are now true believers.
We have worn our Crocs every day for the last year and can’t imagine life without them.
Even The Monkey got a pair for his birthday. Before, he had a pair of normal toddler sandals which made us plug our noses to help him put them on. Ever since buying him his own set of Crocs, his feet and shoes have not smelled at all. At first we struggled with the thought of spending double-digit prices for a two-year old’s shoes. It made us long for America so that we could capitalize on Craigslist. Still, after taking the plunge we see that these shoes are worth the money, especially in warm climates.
We tend to list out the pro’s and con’s before making our decisions, so here are a few of each for you to think about.
Should you take the plunge, too?
Pros
Because of the croslite material these shoes are:
- Odor resistant (we can attest to this)
- Anti-microbial
- Lightweight
- Easy to clean
- Ergonomic
Cons
- Everyday use may cause the sole to wear out after a year (as is the case with Evans – but then again, he wears through shoes pretty quickly anyway).
- Because of its open back, the Cayman style sometimes can get gravel in it when walking (Evan calls them “Croc rocks)
Overall, we are very pleased with all of our Crocs purchases and can’t imagine living here without them!
Update: 03/18/2011
Here it is almost 2 years after this post was published and we are still forever followers of Crocs. I am still wearing the same Prima Crocs that I came to Indonesia with nearly three years ago, and loving them! Evan wears his Crocs, whenever he is not at work, and the boys have some cheaper Crocs that we found here. If you need a durable, smell free shoe for the summer, this is it!
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