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And Now, Crocs With Stiletto Heels

Crocs has paired with the fashion house Balenciaga to make a pair of its popular foam clogs complete with a set of stiletto heels.
Michele Abercrombie/NPR
Crocs has paired with the fashion house Balenciaga to make a pair of its popular foam clogs complete with a set of stiletto heels.

Ever wish you could combine the comfort of a sensible shoe with the trendiness of after-work heels? Your prayers may have just been answered — if you have the guts to rock what may be one of the most controversial shoe releases in recent memory.

Behold, Crocs with stiletto heels, a fashion choice that has come out of the shoemaker's latest collaboration with Balenciaga for the fashion house's spring 2022 collection.

The shoes are a hot topic on Twitter

The new version of the foam clog seems to feature its usual look, but with the surprising (and, if you ask some, disturbing) addition of a stiletto heel. The shoes' debut rocked social media, becoming a hot topic for many on Twitter.

"WE DONT WANT THIS," one user put it succinctly. A handful are pressing the brands to announce a release date. Most, unsurprisingly, are giving it the meme treatment.

As strange a pairing as it may seem, this isn't the first time Crocs and Balenciaga have teamed up: Their first partnership in 2017 saw the creation of an $850 pair of platform clogs that sold out before they were even officially released, according to W Magazine.

Cool enough for Bieber, comfy enough for grandma

Is it possible that Crocs, an iconic sensible shoe beloved by grandparents and toddlers the world over, is slowly legitimizing itself as a fashionable footwear option? The brand has already launched limited collections with high-profile artists like Diplo, Justin Bieber, Bad Bunny and Post Malone.

Crocs also saw a surge in popularity after Nicki Minaj posted a photo of herself last month sporting an electric pink pair, leading the shoe to sell out in the majority of sizes, according to SheKnows. Some fans even said the site crashed temporarily because of demand.

Prices for the latest offering from Crocs and Balenciaga have yet to be announced, but if history repeats itself, interested parties might want to start saving now. It isn't uncommon for Balenciaga shoes to retail for thousands: According to Yahoo News, the priciest pair currently on the website costs $3,250.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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