Why these $120 Crocs cowboy boots — or ‘Croots’ — have people going spur-crazy

Some fans have already nicknamed them “Croots” on TikTok.

“The Crocs Classic Cowboy Boot features a high shine croc-embossed texture and bold Western-inspired stitching,” reads the product description. “The boot is embellished with unique metallic Jibbitz charms and a first-of-its-kind spin-able spur charm attached to the backstrap of the shoe.” What’s more, the company’s crocodile mascot, Duke, appears on the boot wearing his own cowboy hat.

The company wasn’t immediately available for comment, but said over email that, “For years, the buzz around a Crocs-inspired cowboy boot has been building, creating a genuine fan-fueled movement trending across social media,” adding that, “these bad boys are the epitome of cowboy cool.”

The announcement certainly drew plenty of customer and media attention, with “Croc cowboy boots” breaking out as a Google trend over the weekend, and plenty of people sharing their excitement on TikTok.

So why are people losing their minds over a pair of rubber boots with breathing holes and stick-on spurs?

“This is America. We are the land of comfort and cowboy boots,” celebrity stylist-turned-designer Phillip Bloch told MarketWatch. “I think the most fascinating thing about all of this is that Crocs were jokes for how long on nighttime talk shows and in the fashion world? But the brand has been taking Crocs and reinventing them, and making them really stylish … and keeping everyone interested.”

Indeed, Crocs has been on quite the journey since the company launched its bulky, rubbery slides for boaters in 2002. It started as a divisive fashion piece (Victoria Beckham once said she would “rather die” than wear the clogs), as fans praised their comfortable fit and price tag (running between $30 and $60 for most pairs) while critics like “Project Runway” style guru Tim Gunn dismissed them as “plastic hooves.”

The supportive shoes have also become a staple for many health-care workers who spend long hours on their feet, leading Crocs to donate more than 860,000 free pairs of shoes to healthcare workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Crocs nearly declared bankruptcy during the Great Recession, and closed 160 stores while restructuring in 2018. Yet it emerged as post-pandemic success story as Americans further embraced more comfortable clothing. What’s more, celebrities have sported the shoes — who could forget Roots drummer and producer Questlove rocking a gold pair to the 2021 Oscars? — and luxury fashion house Balenciaga collaborated with the brand that same year to create stiletto Crocs. Yes, stiletto Crocs. And they’re a favorite Gen Z brand, according to Morning Consult survey data.

Crocs has got a sense of humor, as well, such as teaming up with KFC to create meme-orable “chicken-scented Crocs” in 2020, and last month’s “Shrek”-themed green Crocs. “

These marketing ploys seem to work, as the Google Trends team noted in late September that searches for Crocs surpassed searches for sandals that month, with the “Shrek Crocs” leading the charge.

Bloch gets it. “Why would I want to spend $2,000 on a pair of Louboutins and be miserable, when I can spend $30 or so on some Crocs and be comfortable?” Bloch said. “And [Crocs] have a great sense of humor. This is the definition of feel-good fashion: Fashion you can laugh at and actually feel good in.”

It remains to be seen how well the Crocs Classic Cowboy Boots will sell when they go on sale later in the month. But one thing working in their favor: The boots are coming out just in time for Halloween, when characters like Barbie and Wednesday Addams are expected to be popular picks. And going as a cowboy or cowgirl is always a classic costume choice.

“I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot of comfortable cowboy outfits and ‘Cowgirl Barbies’ this year with Croc boots,” Bloch said.