Crocs . And how they Perfectly Embody my life's Philosophy.

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I was gifted my first pair of Crocs by my aunt. I was visiting her in Mumbai en route to a month long student conference spread across parts of Western and Southern India.I hated those ugly shoes then but was too kind to do anything but smile and thank my wonderful aunt for introducing me to the ‘hip new fashion trend’. And this was during the month of July with the sweltering Indian summer was in full swing. I didn't realize it then but in typical coming of age fashion; I was to embark on a summer of growth, adventure and first love. Not with a pretty lady but something much better, my wonderful pair of Crocs!

                      

                            
  Weathered, worn and with a nonchalant indifference. Crocs emotion hai Baba!

I still remember the first time I slipped them on- they felt light and comfortable enough, so at least they had that going for them. However as the temperatures continued to rise , I soon noticed they were all I could wear without my feets getting all swollen and sweaty from the heat .And so an uneasy alliance was struck, I decided to accept the fashion suicide that wearing these ugly shoes entailed and they in turn promised to keep my feet from turning in to smelly watermelons ripe for the picking


What followed next is best summarized by the famous line from Mirzapur1

                         ‘Shurwat majboori me ki thi, Abh mazah aa rha hai’.

                   (‘It begun as a compulsion, now it’s just fun)


I loved wearing them so much that I couldn't wear any other sandals or slippers. It just didn’t feel the same. The soft cushion caressing the soles of your feet as the prickly bumps tickled them gently. The warm embrace of the upper flap holds you tight, but the pockmarked holes make sure it's never too tight. Your feet felt safe but still able to breathe and be free, like a healthy relationship or the perfect work life balance. Crocs became the epitome of the perfect life, and whilst I still strive to achieve it, the moment I put on a pair, my feet were already there. If I were Neruda I would have been waxing poems about these shoes for pages. But I am not, so I'll simply wear them till the end of my days( or theirs, whatever comes first)


Wearing Crocs has brought about a drastic change in my personality. I became less concerned with appearance and more with comfort. I wore Crocs everywhere -classes, college, parties and specially around the house. Add to that a pair of worn out jeans and a hoodie and my perfect armour of comfort and indifference is complete. 


That being said however, Crocs are not for the lazy and unmotivated.They are the shoes for long grinds on hot days, for the driven and focused who have no time to waste on laces and straps. Worn by ill groomed college students stuck between the stupor of constant classes and missed deadlines, young techies working out of hole in the wall office spaces building the technology of tomorrow, nurses and doctors working long hours in the most arduous of times and quixotic revolutionaries screaming Azadi outside the halls of Parliament as the try to topple an unjust system between their frequent chai-sutta breaks.They are the shoes of champions.They are the shoes of men and women trying to build a better tomorrow, with gay abandon for the trends of today.


I'm currently on my 5th pair of Crocs, I wear them for about 2 years non-stop until the sole is completely worn out before going for a replacement.This means that once I’ve got a new pair, I don't really have to worry about shoes all that much for the next 2 years or so.And my life can go on smoothly with one less trivial thing to worry about. They are simple, comfortable and extremely durable. And every time time I wear them, my feet attain nirvana and urges me to try and do the same with my life. As any investment buff would tell you, the return on investment is terrific. And the peace of mind it offers - Priceless 



1. An extremely popular and heartwarming Indian web series about family,love, the carpet trade and National Geographic.

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