Schools across the United States are banning Crocs, the popular slip-on foam clogs that are surprisingly comfortable despite the fact that they make everybody look like an old-school mental patient shuffling through an Arkham-style asylum. Also, you can sort of eat them.
The Crocs bans, which are happening in schools in no less than 12 states, including Georgia and Florida, are largely attributed to things you might expect, like “distractions” caused by Jibbitz, a.k.a. the little charms people pinned to their crocs. But perhaps most practically and less culture war-y, they are being banned because kids are tripping all over themselves wearing them. Turns out, slip-on sandals are not the most secure form of footwear. Who could have guessed it?
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Of course, it makes perfect sense. Kids are full of boundless energy, constantly bouncing off the walls and running when they shouldn’t be. Well, now, instead of securely fastened sneakers that are bound to a child’s feet with tightened shoelaces, they’re wearing shoes that seem almost specifically designed to get blasted off the second they encounter tricky terrain. That flimsy little backstrap is not gonna save you.
And that’s not to mention the fact that Crocs offer little in the way of arch support and have almost no moisture-wicking ability, which makes your feet stink and can lead to blisters. Sure, your Crocs might be comfortable, but on the feet of an energetic middle schooler, they are an incident waiting to happen.
The banning of Crocs in schools across the United States is getting so serious and prevalent that some market analysts think it could soon start to make a dent in the sale of Crocs. The idea of parents becoming more cautious about spending money on footwear that’s so notorious for causing students to trip has even become a TikTok meme.
Crocs’ annual sales have more than tripled over the last four years, though, after spending most of the 2010s languishing in the hopes of finding an audience. But just as soon as they caught on, school bands might hinder the company’s growth. Third-quarter sales, which includes back-to-school shopping, only grew by a paltry 0.4 percent. It seems the good times stop rolling at some point—and maybe that some point is soon.
