From High Fashion To Streetwear
Trends come and go but this is one we would have never seen coming. We’re back, with another discussion of another trend which involves the society’s least favourite footwear, Crocs. Before you start making jokes about Crocs and let your train of thought steer into another direction, hear us out.
Recently, the famed crocodile brand has been making waves collaborating with fashion brands and rappers. We start with a high-end fashion house which is familiar to many, and has been the talk of town in recent times, Balenciaga. Balenciaga debuted their collaboration with Crocs October last year during their women’s SS18 fashion show with a 10cm version of the clogs. We know platform shoes are pretty much out of season, yet for some odd reason, Balenciaga managed to sell out their collaboration within hours through a pre-order on Barney’s website even at a whopping $850 (USD) retail price. Consumerism in the upper echelons is a very weird thing.
After dusting off its catalog with Balenciaga, most of us thought that Crocs big break was over, but alas, we were very wrong. Crocs took their next step and collaborated with award-winning international rapper Post Malone to wrap up the second year of Post’s ‘Come As You Are’ campaign. With devilish-looking graphics throughout the uppers and six custom-designed Jibbitz charms, the Dimitri Clog sold out within a day, hardly a surprising feat given Post Malone’s fanbase. Crocs made the right decision to collaborate with Post Malone where a personality like his is aligned with the brands campaign direction, satirical, daddy-like, and the complete opposite of what the norm is in 2018.
We thought it was a one-off thing, but god it really isn’t. We’re not done, and so is Crocs. Another photo surfaced recently teasing the streetwear and fashion scene that they’re back and this time with clothing brand PLEASURES. Based on the teaser, we observe a skeletal-graphic of feet on the uppers with PLEASURES branding visible on the strap of the silhouette. From the looks of it, we’re expecting nothing less than a sold out tab on the product, much like the others with Posty and Balenciaga. However, we only have this photo to share as the release info and price is yet to be announced.
Given Crocs’ decision to close down its factories and centralize its structure, it’s surprising to see the brand turn to collaborations to make itself relevant again. What are your thoughts on the direction of Crocs and their choices of collaborations? Will they be able to change the impression of the society on their products based on their successful collaborations and if anything, could Crocs conquer the market with their comfortable, yet badly designed sandals? We’ll leave that to you to decide but rest assured, this is just the beginning of what Crocs has to offer.
