Wake-Up Call: A dog ate my Crocs!

For years, I fought the urge to buy a pair of Crocs, that homegrown phenomenon that has millions of people shuffling around the planet in what look like wading pools. It wasn't the shoes' appearance that bothered me, or the stories of people getting their Crocs stuck in escalators, or...

By Patricia Calhoun

October 1, 2009

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For years, I fought the urge to buy a pair of Crocs, that homegrown phenomenon that has millions of people shuffling around the planet in what look like wading pools. It wasn't the shoes' appearance that bothered me, or the stories of people getting their Crocs stuck in escalators, or even the fact that by jumping in a pair, I'd be jumping on a bandwagon. No, they just weren't comfortable.

All that changed when a friend passed along a pair of the Crocs Havana model that didn't fit her. I wore these black, wedgie-style shoes all summer, despite the mockery of more fashion-forward friends, and even found myself looking longingly at the different-colored Havanas displayed at the Crocs cart at Denver International Airport.

Then, disaster: A dog ate my Crocs while I was looking the other way at a Mad Man-watching party.

Now I must decide: Do I actually go out and buy a pair? The beleaguered Niwot-based company can certainly use the money, although Crocs just renegotiated a $30 million revolving loan deal with PNC Financial Services Group.

Are Crocs just a crock? Or are people still wearing these shoes?

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Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

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