The Washington Post reported today that Crocs, the ugly shoes that we all love to hate, may soon be extinct.  A company that ballooned as fast as the housing market may soon burst as people are spending less on clothing.  So instead of buying every color of $35 Crocs to match every outfit, consumers are purchasing $5 flip flips.  Now, Crocs are struggling to pay the bills and may be defunct by September of this year. 

So you all may be thinking, “Debbie, you are such a fine dresser, why would you even be concerned about Crocs?”  Well, aside from the fact that I hate to see another business go under, or any business for that matter, they serve a purpose.  They may be ugly, but darn it, Crocs are some of the best shoes for backpacking.  And before you start commenting about the dangers of backpacking IN Crocs, I am talking about as camp shoes.  They weigh almost nothing, are waterpoof and quite comfy.  You can wear them with socks to keep your feet warm, or go sans socks for those hot summer days.  And if you have sweaty feet, not to worry, Crocs are made of an antimicrobial foam so hopefully no fungus (unless you are my husband, but that is a different story).  Get the right color, and you won’t leave them behind either.  (I have left 2 pairs of Crocs in various back countries because I wouldn’t buy the colorful ones.  Therefore, I left them at camp because they blended in with the environment a bit too much-lesson learned so I bought turquiose).

So will the extinction of Crocs replace hemlines as an economic indicator?  Instead of hemlines getting longer during economic downturns, will we all be wearing uncomfortable and less colorful shoes?  Probably not since many in our population prefer to watch hemlines, but at least Crocs will find their place as an American pop culture fashion icon with Member’s Only jackets and parachute pants.