OK, well that was fast. When designer Demna Gvasalia sent out Balenciaga’s quirky-cool streetwear take on Crocs (stretched to a sky-high length, saturated in sunny hues and bedecked in kitschy pins) on the spring ’18 runway last September, it was to the dismay of Serious Fashion People (aka people who take fashion very seriously) in the front row. But for street-style stars, it shed a new beautiful light on the “ugly” rubber style, signaling a new era in which Crocs were not just socially acceptable, but embraced.
Still, there might have been some reservations about whether Gvasalia’s influence could extend to footwear’s most controversial and divisive shoe. Some might have thought it impossible (this writer, included). But now, with absolute certainty, all those doubts can be laid to rest. This morning, Balenciaga’s $850 foam embellished platform Crocs were available for pre-order at Barneys in the tan and bubblegum-pink colorways. And by noon, all sizes in both hues were completely sold out.
