Back in 2017, Balenciaga’s SS18 collection saw platform Crocs hit the runway, bright yellow and pink and decked out with charms including the luxury label’s logo. There was a sense of irony to the whole ordeal, but these new high-heeled crocs – the Cyprus V Crocs – seem to be pretty serious (and about £600 cheaper). The next generation of Crocs’ ‘Cyprus’ range, the shoes combine the brand’s comfortable fit with a chunky 3.5 inch heel and strappy design for more… elegance?
Naturally, the shoes – which come in black, white, and ‘wild orchid’ – were savaged on Twitter. But the comfy clog company will be having the last laugh: the heels with ‘an elegant strap design’ and ‘attractive metal hardware’ have already sold out on the brand’s website and Amazon, presumably stockpiled by middle-aged gardeners for when they’re on a night out.
And, actually, we shouldn’t be surprised. Crocs has reportedly sold more than 300 million pairs of shoes since its inception in 2002, in over 90 countries. Either they’re cashing in on the ironic fashion trend – a la Balenciaga and Christopher Kane, who was the first to take them to the runway in 2016 – or there’s a lot of people out there who don’t care what their feet look like and just (God forbid) want to be comfortable. Either way, the apparent success of their high-heeled offerings are a reminder of just how little we understand people.