During the frantic rush of passing period, thousands of feet perfunctorily shuffle to their next class. Converse, Vans, Uggs, and other popular shoe brands populate the halls. Noticeably standing out in the sea of trendy sneakers and boots are junior Grace Clinger’s crocs. The black spectacles proudly march down the hall for all to marvel at.

A few years ago, many considered crocs as the antithesis of trend and fashion. The colorful clogs were renowned for their bulky shape and unusual style. Luckily, Grace is able to see through the cloudy judgment and recognize the true practicality behind the controversial shoe.

“On October 31, 2015, I bought my first pair of crocs,” Grace said. “I said in English class to two of my friends, “I’m going to bring crocs back.a�� But they didn’t believe me. So, I started wearing crocs to school every single day.”

With her goal implanted firmly in her mind, Grace set off to accomplish it. For the entire winter and spring of her sophomore year, Grace donned the unique slipper and inspired those around her. However, the peak of her project came at the beginning of the crew season in the spring.

The sport of crew encompasses the domains of both land and water. Between ergattas in the gym and regattas on the lake, members of the crew team could spend their practices immersed in either terrain. Finding the perfect shoe to balance both the water and land aspects of their sport was difficult.

“My freshman year, we had to wet launch a lot,” junior Jayla Williams said. “Our shoes kept getting all wet and sandals slide off easily. We [realized] that we had to find something waterproof that was also easy to slip on and off.”

Through Grace and Jayla’s guidance, each member of the crew team began to realize how perfect crocs were for their sport. A devoted lover of crocs, junior Lauren Gesik was one of the first on the women’s crew team to join the trend of crocs.

“I own four pairs of crocs,” Lauren said. “Crocs are really more of a lifestyle. Once we got about three people to wear them, the rest kind of followed because they’re such a convenient and overall stylish choice of shoe.”

With almost every rower on board with the trend, crocs finally had the ability to take off. Soon enough, even captains and coaches utilized the obsession with crocs to better the crew team.

“Last year, one of our captains, [senior] Grace Cool, had an idea that our coach would give us jibbits as a reward,” Lauren said. “A jibbit is an embellishment that you can stick in the holes of your croc. We bought a giant bag of jibbits, and after races or practice, they always get handed out.”

With every member of the crew team and its coaches devoted to the croc movement, there was no doubt that the trend would begin to expand its boundaries. Soon enough, students not associated with the crew team began to wear crocs as well.

“I have noticed that other teams have started wearing crocs too,” Jayla said. “I love how other teams are starting to pick up on the amazing trend of crocs. I know that everyone makes fun of them so much, but I think it’s really cool that the basketball team and volleyball team especially have started it too.”

The connotation associated with crocs has undergone a drastic transformation in the past three years. From bulky and impractical to stylish and functional, crocs are no longer an oddity in the halls. Thanks to the women’s crew team, all of FHC can now enjoy the comfort and style of crocs without worrying about the judgment behind them.

“I wear crocs because they are the best shoe in the entire world,” Grace said. “I love them so much. My crocs are me, and I am my crocs.”