JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARBULLETIN.COM

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Funky foot forward

Crocs, those comfortable
and durable slip-on shoes
in outrageous colors,
fly off store shelves

We should all be so beautiful, dapper and fortunate as to live our lives draped in the best designer togs.

Aqua Zone: 2335 Kalakaua Ave., Suite 112, 923-3483 Bikefactory: 740 Ala Moana Blvd., 596-8844 City Mill stores Cosmopolitan Sun Shop: 7192 Kalanianaole Highway, 395-4269 Crocs Inc.: Kiosk at Ala Moana Center outside the food court, 955-9700 Downing Hawaii: 3021 Waialae Ave., 737-9696 Down to Earth-Natural Foods & Lifestyles: 2525 S. King St., 947-7678 Hawaii Yacht Club: 1739-C Ala Moana Blvd., 949-4622 Island Triathlon & Bike: 569 Kapahulu Ave., 732-7227 Journeys: Ala Moana and Pearlridge centers Kahala Kids: Kahala Mall, 737-6200 Kamehameha Garment Co.: 1643 Silva St., 847-1466 Kailua Beach Walk: 602 Kailua Road, 263-1082 Nordstrom: Ward Centre, 593-2255 Razor Concepts: Pearlridge Uptown, 486-3003 Sandal Tree: Ala Moana Center, 921-9936 Shasa Emporium: 2683 Aliamanu Place, 523-3578 Space Age Shoes: 1319 Punahou St. Suite 1030, 372-6967 Waimea Valley Audubon Center Nature Store: 638-9199

Unfortunately, most of us don't have the a) money, b) body types or c) chutzpah.

But those behind the fashion curve can take heart in the latest trend. It's not often that we see a trend that fits every demographic, but Crocs are a universal hit, and that's no crock.

Start looking down and you'll see the big plastic "clown" shoes on young and old, men and women and those in between.

Just as universally, the resounding reaction to Crocs is a big fat "Ugh!" because the shoes are flat-out ugly, in a cute sort of way, but still undeniably ugly.

Honolulu City Council Chairman Donovan Dela Cruz received his first pair as a gift from a friend, but it was the sort of gift that forces one to accept with a smile while thinking, he said, "Ugh, I'm not wearing that. Crazy!"

After slipping them on, he realized they were extremely comfortable, but the lime-green color was another turnoff. Then he spotted U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka wearing Crocs when they both attended a site inspection at a drug rehab facility.

"When I saw that, I thought, 'Shoots, I'm gonna wear 'em too,'" though not in that bright green. Dela Cruz purchased a black pair of Crocs, and said, "I love 'em. I wear them all over."

Around City Hall he'll wear them with black socks to mask the telltale pukas that allow feet to breathe. He's also worn his workday Crocs on muddy weekend hikes.

"You just gotta wash 'em afterward," he said. "You can use them for anything. They're really durable."

At Honolulu Hale, not generally known as a fashion-forward kind of place, Crocs are still a curiosity that often has people asking Dela Cruz, "What's that?"

"It's interesting because I really think comfort is directing fashion right now. Eventually, they'll realize what's fashion," he said.

"It's kind of like a bulldog, ugly as sin but after a while you grow affectionate toward them," said Duke Boyd, the representative for Crocs in Hawaii, along with his wife, Elizabeth.

"I think it's really good for Hawaii because it's kind of like a shoe/slipper. You can slip them on and off and go anywhere in them."

Comedian Mel Cabang also received his first pair of Crocs as a gift. "I didn't want to wear 'em coz was purple, so I put 'em underneath my bed. I didn't think about it until my girlfriend found it and said, 'What's this?'"

Slipping them on again, the comfort factor won him over, and he's been wearing his purple Crocs ever since.

"I wear 'em every day, even when I'm on gigs," said Cabang, who's been appearing in a series of private shows and will give a public performance at Dot's in Wahiawa on Sept. 2.

The beauty of Crocs became apparent when he was performing in Hilo, on a typically rainy day.

"I was at the Naniloa, and there was no parking, except for one spot next to a deep puddle. No one would park there, but I went in and walked through 7 inches of water. The next night was 12 inches, but the good thing about Crocs is they dry fast.

JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARBULLETIN.COM Mel Cabang, outside Bikefactory, says, "It's about time I got recognized for my fashion sense." He was among the first to discover comfy and colorful Crocs.

NADINE KAM / NKAM@STARBULLETIN.COM Alex Milski, left, and Dasia Tomas hit the beach in Crocs from the Crocs, Inc., kiosk at Ala Moana, noted for offering styles with contrasting color straps.

There could come a day when those partygoers will have to wade through a sea of Crocs to find their shoes, as Crocs become the new rubbah slippahs.

Public relations consultant Annie Inouye knew something was up when she threw a party a few months ago "and three people showed up in Crocs.

"I said, 'What's this? Garden shoes?'"

Crocs do resemble the garden shoes that have long been available at plant stores. Like garden shoes, Crocs are nearly indestructible, able to withstand the elements, time and mud.

You could go out and get the same effect with garden shoes, generally available for about $14.99 to $22.99, less than the $29.99 to $39.99 cost of Crocs. But with the garden shoes you'd have to settle for earthy greens and browns.

Crocs come in 16 colors. While black and navy are sedate enough to go to the office when worn with slacks or jeans, many of the colors are neon bright for those who want to stand out in a crowd.

"The colors are what makes them a fashion statement," said City Mill supervisor Bob Mauro, from the Honolulu store, among the diverse retailers carrying the footwear.

BIKEFACTORY is credited for being the first to offer Crocs on Oahu, after owner Wally Parcels tried for a year to bring them in. He said the craze grew out of the triathlon circuit.

"(The athletes) would get sore feet from running, so they needed something comfortable to wear after the race, but Crocs are great to wear after being on a bicycle, after surfing, after yoga, for everyday fun. That's why we call it fun wear.

"They're also worn by a lot of health-care providers and in the restaurant industry because they're comfortable for those who have to be on their feet all day."

Since bringing in the first Crocs last September, Parcels said Bikefactory has sold 4,000 to 5,000 pairs, from keiki to adult sizes. "It's the fastest-selling item in the store," he said.

As the brand continues to pick up steam, Bikefactory has also started carrying Crocs crocodile logo T-shirts ($18) in multiple colors, and Crocs sunglasses ($50 to $70) with detachable arms that allow use of an elasticized head strap.

Parcels is a firm believer in getting people to try the Crocs on, because falling in love with them is never a love-at-first-sight phenomenon.

"A girl came in here wearing Birkenstocks, and she absolutely wasn't interested in Crocs but she tried them on and walked out with lime-green Crocs.

"I have Birkenstocks, too, but I absolutely wear Crocs now and it's not because they're pretty."