If you're the type of person who can't bother to fold laundry and can never find a matching pair of socks in the morning, then one shoe brand has got you covered. Crocs with built-in socks exist, proving to make your morning that much easier. Never will you have to deep dive into your dresser drawer to find that rogue left ankle sock when your shoes just come with a pair attached.
This hybrid is thanks to a collaboration between Crocs and Alife, a sneakers and streetwear brand with a "gentleman's club" ambiance. Featuring things like logo-ed sweatpants, hoodies, and shin socks, this collab seems right up their aesthetic. It's taking lounge-wear that you wouldn't normally think twice about, and elevating it to sartorial heights.
It might seem weird at first that a cool streetstyle brand would pair up with shoes known to be closet staples for nurses and third grade art teachers alike. But when you look at all the previous luxury label collaborations with unexpected brands, this is just becoming the new normal.
Y/Project, a Parisian label that specializes in slouchy, unisex clothing, created thigh high stiletto Uggs, while Jeremy Scott, the creative director of Moschino, created flame embroidered and bejeweled Uggs for his own take on the classic '00 staple.
Crocs have had their own high-fashion moments, too. Earlier last February, designer Christopher Kane sent fur-lined Crocs to contrast against his metallic knit seperates and sheer lace slips. They looked like an interesting combination of Ugg slippers and Gucci fur-lined slides, while still very much looking like the rubber shoes that were first designed for easy gardening. It was a wild contrast, and people were into it.
Just a few months later, he revisited the look for his spring/summer 2017 collection, but this time swapped out the fur for gem-encrusted pieces. “I’ve always been a fan of the iconic Crocs Clog. I like that they are perceived by some to be quite ‘ugly’ and not at all feminine or designed to flatter,” he told Vogue.
Balenciaga also collaborated with Crocs, but they took a different approach when it came to redesigning the comfy footwear. They turned the rubber, porous shoes into giant stacked platforms, turned them bubblegum pink and bright yellow, and bedazzled them with a series of clustered charms and trinkets.
So seeing high fashion Crocs isn't anything new, but this new Alife version is especially intriguing thanks to it's forward-thinking design. The collection will come with three different shoes to choose from, depending on what your style is.
The first is the “Classic” version, which is probably the most tame. It comes in grey and features oversized Alife branding.
The second one is the “Sport” version, which features the white Crocs with red and blue striped tube socks, letting you pull on your shoes faster. The founder of Alife, Rob Cristofaro, explained just what made him create this mashup. "This style was born from part fashion trend, part hood reality, and the want of touching upon my youth," Crisofaro shared with GQ. “The tube sock was a staple for me while growing up in New York in the 1970s. In the boroughs of New York, you would see kids rocking socks with the adidas slides. The concept was really to take something as next-level as a Croc, and mix it with these elements.”
Lastly there is the "Art" version, which is probably the most fashion forward. (Yes, even bolder than the sock hybrid.) It's a silver shoe with removable 3D-printed knickknacks of New York City’s most iconic landmarks, like the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge. This version will set you back some, clocking in at $600.
These Crocs will range between $80-$600, and will be available at Alife on June 14. Whether you want to wear the Washington Square Arch on your shoe or rep permanent tube socks is up to you. Just know you'll be making the boldest fashion statement yet this summer.
