Loved by some, despised by others, and a little bit confusing to those who are on the fence, Crocs are one of the most controversial, highly debated modern-day shoes.
If the unique style appeals to your taste, their design leaves you scratching your head, or you can’t decide how you feel about them, if you’re shopping for a pair of waterproof shoes, well,
Crocs can be a bit puzzling.
How so?
Well, it’s because of the material that they’re made of, which isn’t damaged by water, but the design of the shoes, which includes holes that kind of make them look like a block of Swiss cheese, allows water to flow right through to your feet.
If you’re wondering if Crocs are waterproof and the explanation provided above didn’t answer your question, for further clarification, keep on reading.
What Are Crocs?
Before we dive in and explore whether or not Crocs are waterproof, we want to take a minute to provide you with some background information about the company.
While there’s no doubt that you’ve heard and probably even seen them before, you may not know about the company’s background, and we feel that with any brand of footwear you are thinking about purchasing and wearing, familiarizing yourself with a company’s history is always a good idea.
Crocs is an American-based company that is headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado. The company was founded in 2002 by Lyndon Hanson (who goes by the name of “Duke”) and George Boedecker, Jr., so that they could produce, market, and distribute their foam clogs.
The duo acquired the design of their clogs from another company called Foam Creations, Inc., which was located in Quebec City, Canada.
Initially, the foam clogs were created as a boating shoe, which makes total sense, as the foam that they are crafted of are waterproof, yet their form – a clog that features holes on the top and openings on the sides and back – allows water to drain right out of them.
The very first pair of Crocs clogs were dubbed The Beach, and they were unveiled to the public at the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show in Florida in 2001.
All 200 pairs that were produced and shown off at this show were immediately sold, and it was then that Crocs officially came onto the scene and made a name for itself in the footwear industry.
In June of 2004, Crocs bought Foam Creations, Inc., as well as their manufacturing operations, the company they purchased the initial design for their clogs from, securing themselves exclusive rights to the Crostite, the proprietary closed-cell foam resin that the shoes are made of, which has been described as an injection-molded foam resin.
In 2007, Crocs applied to register the company’s name and logo as trademarks in more than 40 locations across the world.
They extended the registrations for their trademark applications for the company’s name and logo to include other garments, in addition to footwear, including goggles, sunglasses, watches, protective knee pads, and even luggage, as well as some of their online sales activities.
Fast forward to today and Crocs is now one of the best-known brands of footwear in the world. Their shoes include a variety of styles and colors.
The Classic, the original clog design that introduced Crocs to the world and that the company is best-known for, is available in more than 20 colors.
Other footwear styles include sandals, slides, flip-flops, wedges, flats, boots, and even sneakers. They also offer the popular “Fuzz Collection”, which features wooly liners that can be removed from the interior of the shoes, and add warmth to the shoes.
They also created Jibbitz, which are decorative clip-on accents that can be attached to the Swiss cheese-like ventilation holes.
The Crocs company holds several patents, including “breathable work shoes and methods for manufacturing such”, and three that cover the design of a variety of ornamental elements.
The Croslite foam that Crocs are made of form to the feet of the wearer to ensure comfort, and they are even purported to offer a number of health benefits.
In fact, Crocs are backed by a variety of notable organizations, such as the American Podiatric Medical Association and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, as well as the US Ergonomics company. They’re the go-to footwear choice among healthcare professionals around the world, and they’re even recommended for individuals who suffer from foot-related health problems, and even diabetes.
In the relatively short period of time that Crocs has been around (compared to many brands, 20 years is quite young), the company has established itself as one of the best-known and most recognizable brands of footwear in the world. Whether you love them or hate them, chances are you are familiar with Crocs.
Are Crocs Waterproof?
Now that we’ve provided an overview of the company’s history and background, let’s get back to the original purpose for writing this post, which was to discuss whether or not Crocs are waterproof.
So, are Crocs waterproof? Yes and no.
It depends on what you mean by “waterproof”.
Crocs, as mentioned, are made of a proprietary foam closed-cell resin material, known as Croslite, which can be equated to injection-molded EVA foam.
Due to the closed-cell nature of the resin, moisture cannot penetrate through the Croslite, which means that it does not absorb liquid. You can stomp in puddles, get caught in a downpour, spray them down with a hose, or even wear them while you’re swimming and your Crocs won’t absorb water.
So, in that respect, yes, they are waterproof; however, if you want your feet to remain completely dry, then Crocs are going to disappoint.
Due to the clog design of the shoes, coupled with the ventilation holes throughout the top and sides, while Croslite that the shoes are made of will not absorb moisture, liquid will flow into the interior of the shoes.
If you’re wearing them when it’s raining, you step in a puddle, or something splashes on them, not only will your feet get wet, but they will get completely soaked.
To summarize, Crocs aren’t waterproof in regard to keeping your feet dry; however, if you’re looking for shoes that won’t get damaged when they’re exposed to liquids, then Crocs are definitely an excellent choice.