Shrunken Crocs are like shrunken heads, but less cool
June 3rd 2007 03:07
My boyfriend bought a pair of Crocs last week prior to going on a hiking trip with my family and me-- he has really wide feet and always struggles to find a well-fitting pair of shoes to hike in. He's tried extra wide boots, but still finds them too narrow, all kinds of hiking sandals, but doesn't like the fit of the footbed, etc. etc. The shape of his foot is really clog-like-- it kind of widens out like a paddle and never quite tapers back the way most feet do. So, oddly shaped feet aside, he gets a pair of regular Crocs (not the hiking kind, which weren't available in our Athens, GA outfitting stores, and which he subsequently tried on in Atlanta but decided were too rigid for his liberal sensibilities) to wear on this hike and enjoys them very much. They're lightweight, cushioned, breathe well, and generally comfortable. He enjoys the hike, we drive home, and he leaves them in the back seat of my car (where we store most of our possessions).
The next day, we walk by the car and he looks in the window and says, "My shoes look weird-- they look smaller." What a silly idea-- I assure him that he is hallucinating and we go about our business. But later, when he tries to put them on, he discovers that they have, in fact, shrunk. The Crocs he hiked in the day before are now about two sizes too small.
Now, this was a surprise to the two of us, and maybe it's a surprise to you, but it is NOT a surprise to the Crocs manufacturers. They are perfectly aware that the strange magical material of which these shoes are made will shrink if exposed to direct sunlight for prolonged periods of time or to extreme heat (apparently the back seat of a car with dark interior qualifies). Because they are aware of this, the Crocs people have a notice hidden somewhere on their website that states the susceptibility to shrinkage and thus frees them of responsibility. So if your Crocs shrink, DO NOT expect the manufacturers to reimburse you, send you a replacement, or be particularly sympathetic to your dilemma. This does not mean that they won't send you a new pair-- it just means that if they do, it will be the product of a lot of patience on your part and an unnatural amount of kindness from a Crocs customer service representative.
Luckily for us, we had bought the Crocs from a local retailer who was unaware of the problem and allowed us to exchange the shoes. If we had bought them from Crocs directly, I doubt we could have done anything but donate the shoes to a smaller-footed friend.
So if you want a pair or have a pair of these crazy shoes, by all means enjoy them-- they are super functional and fun-- but beware the shrinking Crocs!!! Keep them cool and shady or you'll find yourself looking at them one afternoon and thinking, "Hey, my shoes look funny," and then remembering this blog...
The next day, we walk by the car and he looks in the window and says, "My shoes look weird-- they look smaller." What a silly idea-- I assure him that he is hallucinating and we go about our business. But later, when he tries to put them on, he discovers that they have, in fact, shrunk. The Crocs he hiked in the day before are now about two sizes too small.
Now, this was a surprise to the two of us, and maybe it's a surprise to you, but it is NOT a surprise to the Crocs manufacturers. They are perfectly aware that the strange magical material of which these shoes are made will shrink if exposed to direct sunlight for prolonged periods of time or to extreme heat (apparently the back seat of a car with dark interior qualifies). Because they are aware of this, the Crocs people have a notice hidden somewhere on their website that states the susceptibility to shrinkage and thus frees them of responsibility. So if your Crocs shrink, DO NOT expect the manufacturers to reimburse you, send you a replacement, or be particularly sympathetic to your dilemma. This does not mean that they won't send you a new pair-- it just means that if they do, it will be the product of a lot of patience on your part and an unnatural amount of kindness from a Crocs customer service representative.
Luckily for us, we had bought the Crocs from a local retailer who was unaware of the problem and allowed us to exchange the shoes. If we had bought them from Crocs directly, I doubt we could have done anything but donate the shoes to a smaller-footed friend.
So if you want a pair or have a pair of these crazy shoes, by all means enjoy them-- they are super functional and fun-- but beware the shrinking Crocs!!! Keep them cool and shady or you'll find yourself looking at them one afternoon and thinking, "Hey, my shoes look funny," and then remembering this blog...
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