Can someone please explain the phenomenon of Uggs and Crocs? I don’t understand them…Uggs I tend to think I have crossed a generation/fashion gap…but Crocs are being worn by everyone from 2 year olds to 80 year olds.
Dunno.
but if she comes with a pair of Uggs, im getting some.
R
Inexpensive, Simplicity, Fashion and Comfort.
that and the ubiquitous trend cycle which forces everyone and their grandmother to manufacture “their” version of it.
One of the guys behind Crocs is a Podiatrist with great biomechanic skills in Holland (Eindhoven) he spent hours + years of knowledge setting up the lasts etc and is resposnible for some of the key changes in a big brands soccer footwear system.
They do not need to be space ships to have the same end result if not better - the aesthetics are just down to your tatse but it is interesting they are born out of the function.
next ugly footwear trend-
MBT
anyone seen these?
Supposed to help with your gait and relieve some sort of pressure on your back while walking. MIght work (never tried a pair, but people say they are comfy), but look like sin. Fatter than a rhino at an all you can eat buffet.
Seen these even at 10 Corso Como in Mila, Italy. One of the top trend setting shops in the world (like Colette, Paris). Had some special edition models for like 200 EUR.
I will never know what is up with these micro trends of ugly shoes. Chalk it up to good viral marketing and getting the celebs to wear them I suppose. And who said stylists have no power?
That being said, wouldnt mind selling millions of pairs of a cheap to produce shoe… 
Think I read recently crocs is producing something like 1,000,000 pairs a month now!
not too shabby for an injected EVA sandal that probably costs $2.50 max FOB to produce and sells for $30 retail!
R
if we are on the topic of “ugly and dubious feature” footwear:
I submit “Z-Coils”
and who said there arent jobs out there for designers. Some of these crazy concepts just smack of the need for some good design talent to add to the mad-scientist “functional” solutions.
R
Whoa…one of my ID professors wore those. Heinous in pictures, even worse in person. I mean, Tigger anyone?
It looks like something I drew when I was a kid, thinking the shoes would turn me into a superhero.
Uggs are comfy and warm and Crocs are comfy and cool. I was in Israel this summer and every single person had them, parent, child, you name it- the little ones are kind of cute actually. Every single store had them, with different colors, differnt color replacable straps, little decorative pieces that you snap into the little holes on top of the shoe…
This picture here was from an outdoorsy/hiking type store. Just a small piece of their selection!
They’re really good for the Israeli lifestyle/climate, so they probably won’t go out of style there anytime soon. I mean, people there are still wearing those giant chunky platform sneakers (and not with just the foam sole either- the hardcore rubber rounded soles.
Everyone in my high school had Uggs. Maybe the fact that everyone wore them made it okay that they were ugly? They actually came out with some nicer looking ones with a different silhouette and different colors though.
EDIT: The crocs are also more expensive in Israel- about 250 shekel, I think… which would be about 55$ (!!)
just read today in an SGI newsletter that crocs has sold 1M+ (2006 i think) pairs in Israel!
not bad for a population of 6M people!
R
but they’re still ugly.
The Crocs are cute on kids.
But I saw these Keens before I had seen the Crocs. So when the crocks took off they looked like cheap Wal-Mart knock-offs to me.
I like the Keens, I tried them on but they didn’t work for me (not my thing i guess). They are well done IMO though, and some of the different colors/patterns are cool.
crocs just signed with nfl and nhl!
what?!
http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2007/01/08/daily31.html
I dunno why i didnt see this coming. horrible, commercial nhl, nfl marketing combined with mass market fugly sandals…
coming soon to nascar with interchangable sponsor logos to stick in the holes?
ugh.
R
Love this thread.
In defense of the Crocs, my nearly four year old son has been sporting them for almost a year now and they are still in perfect condition. We bought them because we live in So-Cal near the beach. They are perfect for the climate here, for playing outside, for going to the beach. The sand and dirt come right out of the holes, you can hose them down, put them in the sun, and they are ready to go 5 minutes later. They may not be for everyone or every environment, but they are nearly perfect for us. Not to mention the ease of manufacturing and the materials, one simple connection piece from the footbed to the rotating heel hold, brilliant in my opinion.
They do look silly on adults though. And as for UGG’s, their US office is just down the road 6 miles from us so everyone, EVERYONE here wears them and they look silly as all hell. I don’t get that one at all.
Those Keens look like a pair of dinosaur house slippers my daughter has…I look at them and think, “Hey, those look kind of what Shrek’s feet would look like if they were tan”.
LOL: Why are they covered in a wood floor graphic.
I can never understand why they look so random? Why all the odd bumps and bulges and mixed up hole shapes mixed with odd patterns.
Random.
A perfect word to describe this sort of design. Love how this thread just morphed to ugly shoes in general.
I’d also like to nominate lots of crazy old 90’s trainers and trail shoes. Even some current xtrainers. Heard them being called BBQ shoes at my last job, as the only sport they are used for is barbecuing, and they need to usually be all over leather or action leather so the dripping grease can wipe off easy…
Also called, “Revenge of the Ovals”
Couldn’t find a perfect pic example, but im sure you know what im talking about… those cheap white (with maybe a bit of navy) “athletic” shoes that are all too popular with the walmart set…
R
My friend used to design womens metallic sneakers with Paris, New York Milan embroidered all over them. She called those barbeque shoes because they were worn to impress the next door neighbours when hosting a barbeque.
The action leather jogggers you describe, I have heard them termed, ‘beer drinking shoes’ and ‘pram pushers’.
Regarding the original post I think some of footwears’ biggest winners were both ugly and comfortable. As well as Uggs and crocs, theres birkinstocks, Doctor Martens Sandals, those Buffalo platform sneakers, Clarks wallabees. The other common thread is none of them started out to be fashion items.
Nice… I always thought some of those looked like someone just got a brand new template and was excited to use it.
The other common thread is none of them started out to be fashion items.
This is a great point. It is actually a big part of why I scratch my head on these items. I believe Crocs were originally made to be gardening shoes. Its seems to be a Post-it-note product…the fashion success was purely by mistake.
Couldn’t find a perfect pic example, but im sure you know what im talking about… those cheap white (with maybe a bit of navy) “athletic” shoes that are all too popular with the walmart set…
I know exactly what you mean!