If you have a particular affinity for a shoe that is flexible, comfortable, waterproof, durable and, above all, stylish, you have probably heard of the instagram account @crocsofbrandeis. With over 670 followers and 89 posts of Crocs sightings from around the Brandeis campus, the account’s bio reads, “Simply displaying Brandeis’ finest fashion trend.”
“I was actually inspired by SUNY Geneseo because they had a @crocsofgeneseo page that followed me,” said the anonymous manager of the @crocsofbrandeis account. “I thought it was the best idea ever and I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of it before.”
The manager of the account is always on the lookout for Crocs around campus, but they also get direct messages from Brandeis students who have started taking photos whenever they see someone sporting the fashionable footwear.
“I’ve definitely acquired an eye for crocs,” said the manager.
The manager started the account about a year ago and since then has posted pictures of crocs in every color from all ends of campus. The page acts as a place for students to come together and celebrate the uniqueness of the shoe, as well as the Brandeis community’s focus on positivity.
“Probably my favorite post is this one where this guy is just sitting in a tree and his Crocs are dangling down in the air,” the manager said. “It’s so beautiful.”
Crocs have even made their way into the classroom. A spot last January showed a physics professor sporting a pair of vibrant purple Crocs. The post has over 150 likes from Brandeis students.
“I think it’s funny when you see something that’s so ridiculous and ugly and then take it and celebrate it,” the manager said. “I like twisting something that a lot of people make fun of and lifting it up.”
As for what kind Crocs the founder of @crocsofbrandeis sports, they like to keep it classic with a practical navy clog.
Against all odds, Crocs seems to be revamping their brand. According to Vogue UK, in Sept. 2016, fashion designer Christopher Kane sent a model down the runway in gemstone embellished crocs. The brand Balenciaga has now debuted the platform Croc. The Denver Post reported that within the last economic quarter, Crocs profits have raised 54 percent due to a $200 million investment by private-equity giant Blackstone Group in 2013 and strategic planning to do away with underperforming styles and stores. And with actress Drew Barrymore and wrestler John Cena signed on as spokespeople for the company, the Crocs trend won’t be going anywhere soon.
“It isn’t necessarily something that’s so specific to Brandeis, but I think it’s more of a generational thing,” the manager said. “They’re just so easy to make fun of, but I try to say in the captions, ‘These are beautiful!’”
