Glance around and look at some feet. Shoes to be exact.

At the Rock River Rapids water park in the summer or at the hallways in Derby High School, teens can be found sporting some Crocs — the waterproof, clog-shaped shoes with holes in the upper half.

Listed in Time Magazine’s “50 Worst Inventions” for being “attractive enough to do laundry in.” Featured in a Buzzfeed article titled “Crocs are ugly” with not just one, not just two, but three exclamation points. Even the former chief marketing officer of Crocs, Heidi Cooley, has said “Yes, we’re ugly.”

So, how have Crocs gained such a dedicated following among teens?

Sliding off one shoe and pointing to her fuzzy Christmas socks, senior Mya Khanu offered an answer as she gushed about her only yet beloved pair of Crocs.

“At first I was like, ‘ew, Crocs,’” Khanu said. “But now I love them. They’re just really comfortable and durable. I wear them every single day, and I can always share my cool socks with other people.” 

Adding with a laugh, she joked: “It’s also pretty cool how you can just easily take them off and chuck them at someone’s head. It’s like the number one battle weapon.”

As a former employee at Rock River Rapids, Khanu has found versatility in her white, charm-decorated Crocs. “They’re waterproof and I can get them dirty without worrying about ruining the shoes,” she said.

From its first debut in the early 2000s, Crocs have skyrocketed in popularity with the current trend towards comfortable yet unique footwear.

A recent earnings report from the company Crocs showed that digital sales were up by 35% and that, in 2020, the company earned $1.39 billion as more and more people continue choosing Crocs as their go-to shoe.

“After running a 5k race, I really just want my feet to be able to breathe,” sophomore Nathan Balderas, who runs cross country, said. “Personally I don’t like the idea of people looking at my feet, so the cover that the Crocs provide made it an easy decision between slides or Crocs.”       

Whether it’s lounging around at sporting events or going on spontaneous trips to a local Target with friends, the versatility of Crocs have appealed to busy teens.

“I typically wear them when I’m running to the store real quick, going on a short walk, or just something casual,” junior Clara Teemant said.

Teemant fell in love with one pair of Crocs in particular. As a fan of the Disney superhero movie “The Incredibles,” she gravitated towards a pair that featured colorful designs from the movie and purchased them with the drop of a hat. 

“I just thought they were so cool,” she said. 

Practicality on one hand and individuality on the other, the funky designs, the ease of showing off fancy socks, and Jibbitz — tiny charms that can add an extra flare to every pair of Crocs — have provided teens with an opportunity to not only slip on their Crocs when needed but to also express who they are.