Crocs

[Lasse]

But why would you want to carry crocs around when you've got your strong walking shoes (Lowa combat shoes) and a couple of good, light, leather sandals (Teva) ?
I haven't ever tested them, but what's better about them than that combo?
Serious work: combats, relaxed(/very wet) evening stuff: sandals...

 

[Matt Weir]

But why would you want to carry crocs around when you've got your strong walking shoes (Lowa combat shoes) and a couple of good, light, leather sandals (Teva) ?
I haven't ever tested them, but what's better about them than that combo?
Serious work: combats, relaxed(/very wet) evening stuff: sandals...

Well I suppose that crocs could be used in the same manner as sandals. I hear that crocs are extremely comfortable.

 

[mayfly]

Key word here is wet - wet camping, wet garden, beach, etc. They are the best footwear I've come across for foraging on the beach, live at the back door and are on and off for watering trips into the garden, wet camping which was the norm last summer, and so on. For these uses I love them. If you are doing any wet activity and it isn't too cold, don't knock them till you've tried them.
Chris

 

[Chopper]

How about crocs with a ventile liner?

Keep that idea quiet...I think uncle Ray is saving that for the Woodlore Croc.:Wow: :Wow: :Wow:

 

[spamel]

Key word here is wet - wet camping, wet garden, beach, etc. They are the best footwear I've come across for foraging on the beach, live at the back door and are on and off for watering trips into the garden, wet camping which was the norm last summer, and so on. For these uses I love them. If you are doing any wet activity and it isn't too cold, don't knock them till you've tried them.
Chris

I've got some neoprene topped and rubber soled beach slipper thingies that would surely be more grippy than crocs on wet rocks and seaweed. Also, they will flex comopetely with the foot to allow a good purchase on the aforementioned surfaces. They are lightweight and good for cutting about the camp when it's time to relax and they stow away completely flat. Infinitely better than a set of hideous crocs that will slip on wet rocks and cannot fit into the smallest space at the side of a pack.

 

[scanker]

I don't think the pros will ever change the mind of the cons and vice versa. Crocs seem to be like marmite.

The one thing I will reinstate is that they're very, very comfortable. People say they're ugly, but I think a lot of the "comfortableness" comes from the fact that unlike a lot of footwear, crocs are foot-shaped, rather than shoe-shaped. Your toes have room to wiggle about.

 

[John Fenna]

I refuse to eat a cheese and Croc sarnie!

 

[mayfly]

I've got some neoprene topped and rubber soled beach slipper thingies that would surely be more grippy than crocs on wet rocks and seaweed.

Living by the sea I know exactly the ones you mean and I have used them in the past. I prefer Crocs which are much more comfortable and practical IMO. I've not noticed much difference at all on wet rocks in terms of grip, and given that I like to go bare foot some of the time, I used to hate pulling on wet neoprene which is a pain, whereas Crocs slip on and off easily, and dry pretty much instantly. Lots of seaweed requires care no matter what shoes you wear in my experience, I don't think Crocs are particularly inferior. I do like the Marmite analogy - I think we'll have to agree to disagree! I was very sceptical about Crocs until I wore a pair. That's my tuppence worth anyway

 

[-Switch-]

I was actually going to buy a pair of these for last years bushmoot. I saw tham in the front of a discount shoe shop and thought they'd be excellent for crossing rivers/ foraging stony shorelines etc. Basically anywhere that involves submerging your feet and is sharp underfoot. Needless to say, the aesthetics of the shoe in these situations would not be of importance.

I mentioned my interest to a friend I was in town with and his reaction totally put me off buying them. I hadn't seen them before but he had, and he was aware they were becoming the summer craze for 2007 (which was later proven right) So on that principle I didn't buy them.
They may be practical and very useful for what I had intended but I'm sure there are other alternatives that don't run the risk of giving people the opinion that I'm a blind follower of fashion.

Having said that, I do kind of wish I'd got them. No one who would've held that opinion of me would have seen me wearing them, and they were only £5 on sale.
Olive green too. And they had my size
We live and learn.

 

[Tengu]

I dont want to look like a fashion victim either.

I have a pair of beach sandals and those nephrene shoes and i think Ill stick to those

 

[swagman]

I dont understand why people wont buy crocs because they dont want to be seen following the crowed and being a so called fashon victim.

Yet we all have simeler knives and all sleep in hamocks and all use tarpes and cruisader mugs the list goes on. or are bushcrafters better than the average jo blogs.?

Are we not bushcraft fashon victims.?

 

[-Switch-]

I dont understand why people wont buy crocs because they dont want to be seen following the crowed and being a so called fashon victim.

Yet we all have simeler knives and all sleep in hamocks and all use tarpes and cruisader mugs the list goes on. or are bushcrafters better than the average jo blogs.?

Are we not bushcraft fashon victims.?

We are not 'bushcraft fashion victims'. Well, I'm not at least.

Hammocks and tarps are general items and yes, most of us use them. But that's not following fashion. Following fashion would be to buy a particular brand of tarp or hammock simply because it's the latest in-thing. This is not something that I personally take part in.

Most of us have sleeping bags but we don't all have Snugpac Softies.
Most of us have packs but we don't all have Berghaus.
Most of us have outdoor shoes but we don't all have Crocs.

We buy the basic items because we need them.
Seeking out a particular brand-name purely on the basis that you want to be in possession of something with that name, that's following fashion.

 

[swagman]

So let me get this straight we all use simler gear that we see as practical but were not
fashon victims.

People who were a plastic shoe in summer that is great with no sox and great in water
quick to put on and cheep to buy are.?

Or is it just most people agree its a great summer shoe.

 

[Humpback]

I've ordered a pair of these from a gucci seller on ebay apparently they're genuine alligator!
(I had to send them back thought as they didn't fit - the string was too short. (copyright Jimmy Cricket 1981))

Alan


I'll get my coat and wellies......

 

[rik_uk3]

I dont understand why people wont buy crocs because they dont want to be seen following the crowed and being a so called fashon victim.

Yet we all have simeler knives and all sleep in hamocks and all use tarpes and cruisader mugs the list goes on. or are bushcrafters better than the average jo blogs.?

Are we not bushcraft fashon victims.?

To be honest, on the many weekends I've had with other members here, hammocks have always been in the minority, most opting to use tents. The only good thing about a crusader mug is that it holds a can of Stella with ease (I hate to drink from a can) or a good amount of tea and as a 'ground hugger' tarps are best used as a cooking shelter

I do agree that there are definite fashion trends here though, lots of 'must have kit' that you don't really need and lots of stuff you 'must not' have, like DPM gear

 

[-Switch-]

So let me get this straight we all use simler gear that we see as practical but were not
fashon victims.

People who were a plastic shoe in summer that is great with no sox and great in water
quick to put on and cheep to buy are.?

Or is it just most people agree its a great summer shoe.

That's not quite what I was getting at. Perhaps my original reply wasn't worded very well.

People who buy crocs because of their practical value aren't following fashion. It's the people who buy them simply because they have 'Crocs' written on them (with no regard to the practical application of the shoe) that are following fashion, and they're the people I wouldn't want to be associated with.

From my experiance goods that become 'fashionable' quickly deteriorate in quality and increase in price as the manufacturers rush to cope with demand and take advantage of their sudden popularity.
It happens all the time and not just with outdoor goods. Car manufacturers, movie directors, actors, recording artists, mobile phones, confectionary etc. How many times do you hear people say that something isn't as good as it was years ago/before it became popular?

Perhaps this is a bit silly but I will go out of my way to distance myself from overly-popular or 'fashionable' products, regardless of the quality. But I would rather that than have people think I like something purely because everyone else does.

 

[pentrekeeper]

Hi, it's me again, not only have I wound some of you "croc" owners up but also won myself a warning from admin - no apologies every one is entitled to their opinions.
If they were made out of quality material, or required skill and craft to make them, I might have a different opinion but in reality they are cheap nasty plastic injection moulded objects that must cost all of 5p to make and have been marketed as the "IN" shoe for the trendy sheep of fashon followers.
I am not really interested if they are comfortable or practical, the one thing that is obvious to everyone who has eyes is that they are appaulingly ugly, they look cheap because they are cheap (to manufacture).
They certainly don't have a place in my kit - wouldn't be seen dead in them.

 

[DoctorSpoon]

Hi, it's me again, not only have I wound some of you "croc" owners up but also won myself a warning from admin - no apologies every one is entitled to their opinions.
If they were made out of quality material, or required skill and craft to make them, I might have a different opinion but in reality they are cheap nasty plastic injection moulded objects that must cost all of 5p to make and have been marketed as the "IN" shoe for the trendy sheep of fashon followers.
I am not really interested if they are comfortable or practical, the one thing that is obvious to everyone who has eyes is that they are appaulingly ugly, they look cheap because they are cheap (to manufacture).
They certainly don't have a place in my kit - wouldn't be seen dead in them.

Cool it mate! Is it really worth all that angst over a pair of plastic shoes? Whilst we are all entitled to our own opinions we are not entitled to sling insults at those who hold a different opinion to our own!

I find it best to stay away from threads that annoy me. I was very close to getting very angry with folk on the 'are women safe alone' thread so nowadays simply don't read it

Nicola

 

[Mang]

worn by morons.

no apologies every one is entitled to their opinions.

As of this post there's 31 "morons", I bet I could learn something off all of them...rude

 

[pentrekeeper]

Good advice doctor spoon, thanks - taken :sulkoff: I'm sure we can all learn something from each other Mang.
OK OK "worn by morons" is fully retracted with my sincerest apologies for any one offended by the remark - as this is not really a thread on bushcraft it was meant as somewhat light hearted - but not recieved as such .
Need to be more careful in the future