FASHION can be a fickle beast and the latest "it-shoe" is stoking widespread debate: Crocs are back.
The brightly coloured, hole-speckled clogs are enjoying a renaissance, spotted everywhere from the Oscars red carpet to making star-studded cameos in TikTok videos.
How on earth did this happen?
Some blame the demand for laidback lockdown attire, others suggest it can be credited to a raft of high-profile collaborations and brand ambassadors (rapper Post Malone and actor Priyanka Chopra to name a couple).
Once considered a terrible fashion faux pas, sales of Crocs soared in the first three months of the year. The company's revenues climbed by 64 per cent in the first quarter, reaching a record $460 million (£331m).
Crocs are polarising?
They are the Marmite of footwear. Very few people are ambiguous about Crocs. They either adore them or want to kill them with fire.
Why did no one warn us?
They did. At the tail end of last year, the fashion website Who What Wear declared: "I Hate to Break It to You, But 2021 Is Set to Be the Year of the Croc", while GQ ran an article with the headline: "We Can't Believe It, Either: Crocs Are Cool Now".
What is the point of Crocs?
The shoes, made from a lightweight and odour-resistant resin, were initially marketed at sailing and water sport enthusiasts before becoming a fashion phenomenon in the mid-noughties.
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Crocs then fell out of favour and spent many years languishing in the doldrums of sartorial good taste, generally only seen as acceptable when worn by chefs, gardeners, dentists and healthcare workers (the wipe-clean properties are not to be scoffed at).
How was the revival sparked?
Savvy celebrity placement and harnessing the power of social media. Pop star Justin Bieber is among those to embark upon a collaboration with the brand, designing a version embellished with cartoon animals.
Not everyone is swayed?
Correct. Bieber recently sent Victoria Beckham a lilac pair from his Drew House x Crocs range. It is fair to say that the fashion designer and former Spice Girl wasn't overly impressed.
Beckham polled her Instagram followers as to whether she should wear them: 43% were in favour, but the star later revealed she would "rather die" than don Crocs. Brutal.
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Bieber needs to learn to read the room: clumpy purple clogs are a bit of a stretch for a woman well-known for being most at home in sleek, sky-high stilettos.
Do you own Crocs?
I may or may not be wearing a pair as I write this.
Moving swiftly on. What's next?
Retro is in. Could the mighty shell suit be due a comeback? Tune in soon to find out.
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