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Strategy November 09, 2018

Trend Alert: Crocs…With…Socks – GASP!

Yes, you read that right. It’s a hitherto fashion sin we’ve often committed. Don’t judge, friend. Just hear us out. It might actually be a thing.

By  Christopher Ruvo

For years, I have done it. Engaged, that is, in a behavior that has proved embarrassing and degrading to myself and my family. A behavior, indeed, that some go so far as to call morally reprehensible. What have I done? Nothing less than commit the cardinal sin of fashion.

I have frequently worn Crocs with socks – in public. Evidence:

But now, after countless hours of shame over my oft-maligned footwear predilection, it seems I am about to experience a most welcomed liberation. For get this: Crocs, and sandals/sliders too, with socks are developing a little cachet – a kind of cool that’s creeping its way into fashion circles. It’s like what happened with dad hats. They were so uncool it became cool to wear them ironically and then just became cool.

While this may sound bonkers, the emerging Crocs-socks trend might actually be a good thing for the promotional products industry. It means there could be an opportunity to bundle fun branded socks – which are trending wicked hot, as we’ve noted here, and here, and here -- with logoed sandals/sliders/Crocs/Crocs-like footwear for marketing campaigns aimed at youthful and fashion-forward demographics. Or me. If you are doing a marketing campaign targeted at me, you definitely want to go Crocs with socks.

Anyway, maybe you think I’m taking the mickey about Crocs being cool, but I’m for real. Latest evidence? Rapper Post Malone just collaborated with Crocs and released PostyCo-branded versions of the footwear. They reportedly sold out in ten minutes. Check ‘em out:

Photo from Crocs.

Even Madonna wanted to get herself a pair of Posty’s Crocs, as the below Instagram shows. Take heed: Malone is wearing his Crocs with socks in this pic. So what up now?

View this post on Instagram

Sensing a @madonna x @crocs collab. #CommentsByCelebs

A post shared by @ commentsbycelebs on Nov 1, 2018 at 1:53pm PDT

Of course, Post Malone isn’t the only celeb to rock the Crocs/sandals with socks look. Justin Bieber, Shia LaBeouf, designer/artist Brendan Fowler and no less a men’s fashion icon than David Beckham have all donned the “style” of late. Indeed, Beckham sported socks with sandals for a recent Vogue shoot with his family. Admittedly, as the post below exemplifies, the fellows all got stick for their hitherto faux pas footwear combo, but in the end, they may well be proven forerunners of a new trend.

In case you needed a product tip, check out the below from promo supplier Value Gifts Corp (asi/93252). And to my fellow Crocs-with-socks wearers, take heart: Our Time Might Finally Have Come!!!