As I put my Birkenstocks on to drive my car to school last year, my brother said, “Those look like swashbuckling shoes.” A year later, I put my Crocs on to get frozen yogurt and my brother said, “Those are the ugliest shoes I’ve ever seen.” Why did shoes with buckles and shoes with holes become so popular all of a sudden? The easy answer is comfort and functionality, but how did Crocs move from the healthcare realm into everyday life wear? And how did Birkenstocks break from the stereotype of hippie footwear?
Crocs rose to fame when doctors and nurses wore them in hospitals for their Croslite material that soothed soles as they ran from floor to floor, according to “10 Reasons Why Doctors Wear Crocs” on
HoodMWR. Birkenstocks rose to fame for their undeniable comfort but also as celebrities like Kate Moss and Steve Jobs wore them, making them popular in the everyday scene and are continuously gaining more popularity as they make appearances in movies, fashion shows, and mass media,
according to “Birkenstock goes public: This is how the ‘woke’ sandal became a fashion symbol” on El País.
Slowly, these shoes were recognized more and more for their utility and even those who sat at a desk all day started to purchase Crocs and Birkenstocks. Crocs, with their wide range of colors and styles,
could be used in many different situations: in the garden, at home or school, or while running errands; there seemed to be no end to the use of Crocs.
The Classic Clog, priced at $49.99, is one of the most popular styles sold by Crocs and has 31 different colors. Now, you might see Crocs embellished with different charms, trademarked by Crocs as Jibbitz Charms, each priced at $4.99. They could be based on movies, universities, board games, holidays, and more. Similar to the colors, there are Jibbitz Charms for everyone.
Birkenstocks are just as popular for their style and functionality. They don’t have the color range, but they do have cork soles to increase arch support and comfort.
Their range of styles like Arizona, Naples, Boston, and Mayari cater to people with different needs for their feet. The Arizona sandals are known for their comfort and versatility, and also for their classic and minimalist design. But these shoes are also known for their large buckles and the patchy cork designs, primarily why many people think these shoes are ugly.
More recently popularized, the Boston clogs are known for their comfortable design, versatility, and slip-on style. The clogs’ unconventional potato sack-like style and their open heels make these a controversial pair of shoes for the fall.
However, Birkenstocks’ suede, taupe, and neutral colors can be paired with any style of bottoms and worn for different occasions: anything from running errands to dinner at Santana Row.
Besides their obvious comfort and looks, many people question how “ugly” shoes became so popular in and out of the workplace.
According to “From Birkenstocks to Crocs: Is ‘ugly’ footwear a rebellious or feminist stand?” on Euronews, these shoes are a form of rebellion for women, as shoes for women are normally synonymous with discomfort and oppression, while Crocs and Birkenstocks are the opposite. Their supposedly ugly styles paired with their high levels of comfort are a modern rebellion against accept-
able norms in society. While they may be ugly shoes because of their vibrant colors and hole-filled designs, all it took was one wear of my friend’s bright pink Crocs to make me fall in love with them.
At school, this trend is continuously growing, as according to The Union survey, almost 30% of 161 respondents wore either Crocs or Birkenstocks to school.
Everywhere I went, the first thing that caught my eye were people wearing Crocs or Birkenstocks.
So when the trend started to take effect in my day-to-day life, I wondered if they were a micro trend, but the comfort and versatility of the shoes proved me wrong.