Yesterday, on the penultimate day of London Fashion Week, Christopher Kane divided the fashion crowd when he sent models down the runway wearing none other than Crocs on their feet.
Sure, these weren’t the primary coloured offerings that we’re used to toddlers running around in. Some were blue and green marbled others were burnt orange and dark brown; whichever the models wore, they were in keeping with their outfits.
And those cartoon badges you can get to accessorise your Crocs? They were no where to be seen, instead replaced with multi-coloured gem stones.
But the fact still remained that these were actual Crocs strutting down the runway and shock, confusion and, in some instances, anger followed.
After the show, Christopher Kane said of his decision to use the shoe, ‘I wanted to bring my own stamp and DNA to Crocs' classic clog shoe and achieve something really special. The marble print feels very earthy and I often think of Crocs in a very grounded way, worn with either an evening dress or with jeans, and adding the rock crystals brings a bit of luxury to this everyday style. Crocs are arguably the most comfortable shoe, I love that they are slightly awkward and might be perceived by some as 'ugly'. They have a very naïve and childlike shape which I especially like when they look extra clunky on the foot.’ Consumers will be able to buy the Crocs when they’re released in the spring.
Weirdly, the more I look at them, the more they're growing on me. Don't get me wrong, I won't be wearing them – hell, even if I wanted to, I doubt I'd be able to afford them – but I can totally see them working for some people.
But is it that strange thing when you're told something's fashionable, you kind of start to believe it is? Is it the Emperor's New Clothes (see above)? Then again, designer fashion always has an air of that about it.
The thing is, you can’t polish a turd, right? But you can roll it in glitter. Or, rather, gemstones.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.