Crocs are the most divisive footwear: you love them or hate them, and there doesn’t seem to be any middle ground.

Crocs have been on the rise in recent years, selling 103 million pairs in 2021, up 49% from 2020, according to Andrew Rees, Crocs CEO. Crocs are a clog-shaped shoe with small circular holes on top of the shoe and larger rectangular gaps just above the sole. They also have a strap in the back that can sit behind the heel or rest on top of the shoe. When the strap is behind the heel, the crocs are in “sport mode.” My Crocs take very little time to put on, do not restrict my feet in anyway, and make me feel relaxed with each step I take. But that’s just me, as I found out.

Some Williston students have been vocally opposed to the new wave of croc wearers. Most opposers will simply choose not to wear them, but some have gone as far as to challenge other’s decisions to wear them. What is it about Crocs that garner so much negative press? I did some digging.

Senior Campbell Collins, thinks Crocs are disgusting.

“They have too many holes,” she said. “Too many things can get inside of them.”

Junior Betsy Gaudreau does not like how susceptible the holes are to external forces.

“Ms. Talbot’s son stuck his fingers in Dire’s crocs, which is just gross,” she said.

Christa Talbot Syfu is a dorm parent in Emily McFadon Vincent House, the dorm where Betsy and her friend, Dire Adeosun, reside.

While there have been some negative sentiments around Crocs from a few here on the Williston Campus, according to an informal poll I conducted on my Instagram story, support for Crocs is widespread. Viewers of this recent poll could voice their opinion on Crocs by giving them either a thumbs up thumbs down emoji.

After 20 hours, the story had 277 views; 73 of those viewers voted on the poll. The results were overwhelming, with 61 people giving Crocs a thumbs up and only 12 giving them a thumbs down.

I am not alone in my support of Crocs.

Senior, Greta Saxe calls them “practical.”

Freshman Alex Landon finds them “comfortable.” Francesco Grumo, a senior from Italy, might be the most enthusiastic individual about Crocs on this campus.

“Crocs are the best thing all over the world,” he proclaimed.

Crocs are sophomore Xander Oleksak’s shoe of choice when he walks back from soccer practice, and he admires their comfort and convenience in that regard. He did, however, have some concerns about their use in the shower.

“The soap makes them sticky,” he said, “you gotta get flip-flops for that.”

To test the convenience of Crocs, I took three test subjects and timed how long it took for them to put on a pair of sneakers, and how long it took for them to put on a pair of Crocs. On average, it took 3.5 seconds to put on both Crocs, while it took 19 seconds to put on both sneakers.