Crocodile Rock
The Tipping Point is a great book by Malcolm Gladwell which examines the social phenomenon when something goes from under the radar to simply exploding. Once it tips everyone else then wants one or wants to do it or wants to go there because everyone else already has one, did it or went there.
Think Cabbage Patch dolls and Pokemon. Think the red ribbon everyone used to wear at awards shows. Think rollerblades and hypercolour t-shirts. Think poker. Think the Ugg Boot. Think the Razor Scooter.
Often things will tip in fashion because by definition it is so fleeting. Hundreds of different things will be tried and only one will tip. As the book explains, those things which eventually do tip rely heavily on the connectors, mavens and salesman involved.
I mean, how many people donned a yellow Livestrong bracelet simply because the rest of the world was? The pressure was inexorable to wear one. And if you were not going to sport a yellow one then how about a bracelet of some other colour.
Well standing at the bus stop today it dawned on me that I was staring at the latest tipped point in Israeli fashion – the guy standing next to me was wearing Crocs. Just as everyone I have met in the past few weeks has been wearing them. Just as the two year old who was at lunch last Shabbas was wearing them.
You only have two choices; which colour are you going to choose and is the strap going to be forward or back. This Boulder, Colorado company which only began in 2002 has exploded especially in Israel where it seems to have taken a real foothold.
Their unisex and uni-age nature means there is no stopping their relentless capture of market share here.
Out of curiosity, would love to know how they tipped. Who was responsible for metamorphosing them from a basic boating/outdoor shoe into a fashion staple?
As for me? Well truth be told I have my Naot which I know are "so-1991" but I’m pretty happy with them. Then again I usually tend to catch these trends just as they are on way out like when I got my Vans in 1996.
Think Cabbage Patch dolls and Pokemon. Think the red ribbon everyone used to wear at awards shows. Think rollerblades and hypercolour t-shirts. Think poker. Think the Ugg Boot. Think the Razor Scooter.
Often things will tip in fashion because by definition it is so fleeting. Hundreds of different things will be tried and only one will tip. As the book explains, those things which eventually do tip rely heavily on the connectors, mavens and salesman involved.
I mean, how many people donned a yellow Livestrong bracelet simply because the rest of the world was? The pressure was inexorable to wear one. And if you were not going to sport a yellow one then how about a bracelet of some other colour.
Well standing at the bus stop today it dawned on me that I was staring at the latest tipped point in Israeli fashion – the guy standing next to me was wearing Crocs. Just as everyone I have met in the past few weeks has been wearing them. Just as the two year old who was at lunch last Shabbas was wearing them.
You only have two choices; which colour are you going to choose and is the strap going to be forward or back. This Boulder, Colorado company which only began in 2002 has exploded especially in Israel where it seems to have taken a real foothold.
Their unisex and uni-age nature means there is no stopping their relentless capture of market share here.
Out of curiosity, would love to know how they tipped. Who was responsible for metamorphosing them from a basic boating/outdoor shoe into a fashion staple?
As for me? Well truth be told I have my Naot which I know are "so-1991" but I’m pretty happy with them. Then again I usually tend to catch these trends just as they are on way out like when I got my Vans in 1996.
posted by Dot Co Dot Il at 10:50 AM
12 Comments:
Crocs are the ugliest shoes in fashion right now... i mean plastic shoes that cost $40???? dont they make your feet smell?
now for pregnant woman or people who spend all day on their feet, they can wear crocs. but for every day people ... its just wrong
Argh!! They are so ugly!
I'm sorry, but anything that rhymes with a very innapropriate word is not something I want on my feet.
When did we say is the estimated time of going out of fashion?
i also don't like them. apparently they are quite popular here as well.
naot, fine. but those crocs seem to be some sort of weird mutation of those jellies (sandals) crossed with slip on birkenstock-like clogs.
nevertheless, it's ok and quite cute for a two year old to wear them!
israluv - hear, hear!
chavaleh - i agree with you. Thats why I dont wear Patrick Cox.
sarah - two year olds tend to look cute in anything
Whew. I thought I was the only one who didn't like those shoes.
Mark my words, by this time next year the fad will have passed and no one will be wearing them. I'm sure an even uglier shoe will be all the rage.
They do look nice on some people. Or maybe that's just because I've got used to them?
And Chavaleh- don't you also wear Socks?
Finally I have blog fodder and blogger.com won't load. Sod's law I guess. It's not like google-owned enterprises to have problems for long so I'll take notes on the old fashioned "wordpad" and CTRL+C, CTRL+V in a bit.
You have Crocs all wrong, yes, they may rhyme with cock, but so does rock and lock, and we come across them on a regular basis.
The whacky colours should definalty be banished to the realms of the hippy, but the plain black beauties that I wear are the most comfortable thing to wear other than going around barefoot.
I was in the cafteria at (the old) work the other week, and everyone in the room was wearing a differnt colour pair of crocs, and now, there is more than colour and strap placement to choose from, their website has a whole range of ridiculously coloured footgear on display (http://tinyurl.com/fy2zq).
Personally, if you're going to buy crocs, buy a sedate colour that you can get away with, but on the other hand, if you're stupid enough to give up comfort becuase "they look silly", then I would suggest you get your priorities right.
Long live comfort, be it in the form of a king size bed, bubbling spa, bar of chocolate, or bits of rubber that keep your feet safe from harm.
As for the thoughts I shared with you about about "Tipping Point" earlier, if I get my work finished I will blog it later. Thanks for a great evening, the gf and I always enjoy a movie and a pizza with you and Mrs Dot Co Dot Il, even if I won't touch the dairy ;)
Not all trends are meant to be followed, and I hate when all companies follow suit. I saw that Sketchers is now making Croc style shoes as well. I give them another year. BTW, totally forgot about Vans. I used to have THE coolest pair.
RR - Maybe Naot will come back next year.
PP - Do you own a pair?
If - you forgot to mention clock and knock.
Queen - You would look cool no matter what you are wearing.
I think it depends on the context you wear them in. Our dentist wears ice-blue Crocs with his dental uniform, and they look totally OK. Same for nurses and doctors. But for on-the-street wear? You won't catch me in the them!
I don't. But I'm sure i know what colour I'll be buying eventually.
They are neither plastic nor rubber. They do not make your feet smell unlike most other shoes you're likely to wear. They are even more comfortable than walking barefoot - I put them on when I get out of bed and I used to be a barefoot girl. And I couldn't care less if anyone thinks they're ugly! They're certainly not inappropriate for walking in the street, as would be pajamas. I'll be wearing my Crocs (which I bought long before anyone around here even heard of them - they're well over a year old now) long after they go "out of fashion" because, frankly, I couldn't care less what is in style! :) (I do love how they have become such a conversation piece, though)
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