Rock out with my crocs out

If you wanted to partake in high fashion or just be a plain old Hypebeast, you will probably have a hard time deciding which shoes will complement your outfit best.

Balenciaga?

Yeezys?

Adidas Superstars?

No, if you want to be a true hypebeast, there is only one option: Crocs. Crocs have everything you could possibly want in footwear: the sleek rubber layout allowing your foot to easily slip in, the bright colors drawing attention from everyone around, the swiss-cheese like top providing perfect breathing room for your feet and the amphibious, waterproof material giving you the mobility to conquer land and sea.

In fact, the Croc-hype seems to have started out as a reaction to the ridiculously priced Hypebeast streetwear fashion trends — after all, $30 for a high-quality amphibious shoe is quite the steal.

Even celebrities such as John Cena and Drew Barrymore have begun wearing crocs regularly as part of elaborate ad campaigns aimed at making Crocs more popular amongst youth. Outside of ad campaigns, Crocs have also found popularity amongst K-pop stars with the entirety of BTS taking photo shoots in neon crocs.

Crocs have also broken into the world of high fashion with crocs making an appearance at London Fashion Week 2017 and being planned for the Gucci Cruise 2018 fashion show.

Throughout the school, some of the trendier students have already jumped on the Croc trend. Although some argue that Crocs were a mere meme — an ironic avant garde footwear — the emergence of true Croc enthusiasts proves that we won’t be saying later to these gators anytime soon.

Senior Allyson Chang started sporting bright yellow crocs at the start of last summer and she hasn’t looked back since.

“It started [out] kind of ironically,” Chang said, “but after I started wearing them more I actually really liked how they looked.”

Despite receiving some mean-spirited comments from other students, Chang remained undeterred about her fashion choices and even sought to introduce more people to her favorite footwear.

“My friends tease me about my Crocs, but it’s always out of love,” Chang said. “I still hope we can all wear matching Crocs someday.”

While Chang’s friend group still hasn’t completely embraced the Croc trend, other students have also found Crocs to be a valuable addition to their outfits. Senior Valerie Yang remembers impulsively buying a pair of neon pink Crocs online after being enthralled with their flashy color online.

“Crocs became my favorite shoe — they are extremely comfortable and lightweight, so I can wear them anywhere,” Yang said. “Plus, they match with basically every outfit, so it’s super easy to pair.”

Underclassmen have also started following in Chang’s and Yang’s croc-shaped footsteps. Sophomores Ashleigh Abe, Malika Ahuja, Sophia Jones and Sanmati Nakil have all started wearing crocs regularly.

“Well, we all got crocs as a meme originally,” Nakil said, “but then they ended up being really comfortable.”

While Crocs may never find themselves as a completely mainstream footwear, they will always hold a dedicated niche of fans who can truly rock the Crocs.