Crocs--really?

[TandLMommy28]

OK, I hear people rave about Crocs for Disney. Today we went to the zoo and I wore my Crocs, which I never do at the zoo. We have a membership and we go all the time. I always wear sneakers.

We walked around half of the zoo today, and it's 40 acres total. MY BACK WAS KILLING ME after half an hour. I came home and couldn't move, it was awful. I've had my Crocs for about six months and I do wear them often, just not on long walks...

How do you wear those things all day?

 

[Tara]

They work great for some people, not great for others. I don't have any issues when I wear them. But I can also wear Teva Mush flip flops around the parks all day.

 

[MzDiz]

It really seems like you either love them or hate them. Oddly enough, for me, the only shoes I can wear all day long without complaining are either Crocs or my clunky Red Wing, steel shank work boots. Go figure.

 

[selina4disney]

So how do people wear sneakers all day? After two hours in well-fitting Reeboks I had blisters so big I could barely walk. Same thing with my Nikes. How do people wear Chacos all day? After one hour my plantar facitis was so bad I was in pain for two days. (Luckily I was smart enough that time NOT to wear them to the parks, but tried them shopping.)

Everyone's feet are different. My back doesn't hurt with Crocs. My plantar facitis never flares up with Crocs. I have never had even one blister with Crocs.

I also wear a lot of Keen sandals and have very good luck with them as well, but many of the shoes people on here swear by KILL ME. My feet ain't your feet. My back ain't your back.

To say "How do people wear those things" is really kind of silly because what works for some doesn't always work for others. My daughter can't wear them...she gets blisters. My DH always wears his to the parks because they are the only thing that do not make his back hurt and keeps his plantar faciitis from flaring up, just like me. My son thinks they are the dumbest looking thing on the planet and would rather have his feet fall off than wear them...to each his own.

If they don't work for you, just try something else.

 

[ambertides]

Bodies are different - we all need different support, different types of support, plus road conditions factor in. I do wear Crocs most of the time, including in the parks, but I don't go more than 5 miles in the parks, usually. If I'm doing a vacation with a lot of walking - say 10 miles a day, I switch Crocs and tennis shoes (Crocs one day, tennis shoes the next), that seems to work better for me. Also, a lot of Disney is standing, vs. continuous walking - and, for me, Crocs work better in that situation. Standing in my particular sneakers (designed for walking) is no fun for me.

That said, Crocs wear out FAST, at least for me. They are best when brand new. I buy a new pair every 2-3 months. Longer than that and they're really no better than $2 flip flops for me.

 

[luvdisney00]

I "discovered" crocs years ago before they were really popular as a nurse working 13 hr shifts in the ICU. My feet would always kill me at the end of my shift wearing sneakers or nurse shoes, and once I tried crocs, my feet felt really good at the end of a shift.
Everyone is different, I'm sorry that crocs didn't work for you, because for me, I can do the parks all day without an issue. The key is to find what works for YOU and bring that on your trip.

 

[NancyDee]

I wear my "Patricia" style crocs and love them....
I cannot wear regular crocs as I need a little heal or wedge, if I wear flat shoes, my back hurts for days.

 

[frayedend]

I didn't buy them for a long time because I think they look silly on a man. But I bought them this year to try in anticipation of my Disney trip. I like them for around the house and pool. But I tried them to walk the dogs a few times and found them to get very uncomfortable on a long walk. Granted I walk at a fast pace with the dogs and not in the leisurly fashion I would at Disney. But I think I will skip the Crocs for Disney. I also found that water stays in them so they don't dry out fast (which was my initial reason to wear them instead of sneakers, want to do water rides).

 

[tndisneyfan]

I love wearing my Crocs but I can't wear them at WDW. I wore them somewhere for a trial run to see if I thought I could wear them in the parks. No way! My ankles and the sides of my legs hurt. I'm sure it was because those muscles were weak and the Crocs were forcing me to use them, but I still couldn't wear them in the parks all day.

 

[Nadjalu]

The reason that you hurt is your crocs were TOO broke in.

In order to reap the benefits of wearing crocs on long walking expeditions (theme parks, zoos etc) is they need to be new and only wore a few times so they are molded to your feet.
This gives better support and cushion for your feet.

I would sugget next time try it that way and see if it makes a difference.

Old crocs that have "compressed" padding don't offer as much support as new ones. Not only that they become very "slippery" when wet, which crocs are made to do the opposite, keep the balence when wet.
But people wear their crocs like other shoes....way to long.

I love mine, but for serious walking I buy a new pair for summer and never have issues with feet or back.

 

[squirrel]

I love Crocs for WDW.

I only got blisters once and that's because I didn't check them before I left. I had worn them out.

Won't happen this year, I bought 3 pairs of Holey brand of Croc like shoes. I think these are even better than the Croc brand.

 

[cmurray234]

Yes, I think it depends on your foot. When I'm at the World, I only wear Teva Mush flip flops and sometimes Crocs. I get blisters otherwise from sweating and my sneakers eventually make the bottoms of my feet hurt.

 

[wmharley]

The reason that you hurt is your crocs were TOO broke in.

In order to reap the benefits of wearing crocs on long walking expeditions (theme parks, zoos etc) is they need to be new and only wore a few times so they are molded to your feet.
This gives better support and cushion for your feet.

I would sugget next time try it that way and see if it makes a difference.

Old crocs that have "compressed" padding don't offer as much support as new ones. Not only that they become very "slippery" when wet, which crocs are made to do the opposite, keep the balence when wet.
But people wear their crocs like other shoes....way to long.

I love mine, but for serious walking I buy a new pair for summer and never have issues with feet or back.

My crocs are 2 yrs old, worn down on the bottom, and I prefer to wear them in the parks. Never had foot issues, other than after 8-10 hours in the park, I prefer to take them off on the drive home, but I do that with flip flops after the beach or sneakers after a long day.

Last visit was my 1st time slipping in disney, but that was in Epcot at the fountain, which I noticed had much standing water and mold on the ground there, which would make me slip in my sneakers.

When i've worn my sneakers to disney, my foot hurts from the pressure, but Crocs have more space for my foot to naturally swell.

 

[PoohsFan1]

DH and I were never big on crocs, my kids however swears by them. That is until DH decided to buy a pair of his own and now he can't get enough of them. So before our trip in March I decided to order a pair for my self (the Disney clogs) and I too fell in love with them. Now that we are going back in September when the weather will be hot and humid, DH and I are planning on buying another pair.....DH is looking at the Trailbreak and I am looking at the Florence styles.

 

[r&kmommy]

ditto "everyone's feet are different"! I get wicked plantar fasciitis flare ups about 3-4x year. During that time I NEED to wear real, lace up, good sneakers and socks at all times (even around the house) . . . I get lower back pain every now and then thanks to throwing my back out years ago making my bed (lol, tried to lift the mattress up to tuck and was at an odd angle) and yet I can wear crocs (caymans or cleos) all day long at the parks, and can also wear sneakers w/ socks all day long and not suffer blisters! I can NOT wear canvas keds or other cheapo no support sneakers/shoes, nor can I wear flip flops of any kind.

I usually start out the day in my sneakers, and bring my crocs and change shoes about halfway through my day. Unless we're going to take a hotel break then I'll just change then. I don't have to change, but I like to. kind of rejuvinates my feet!!

Some people can wear anything at all on their feet no matter how much they're going to be walking, but others have to wear certain things or face pain! You have to figure that out before you leave for your trip.

(and I forgot to add, new crocs every summer/year are a must... they get too formed and compressed if you wear them every day for a year!! I have a pair of brown caymans that I've only worn maybe 10 times and then on one disney trip and they're still relatively new. I just got a new pair of mickey mary janes and will save them for my trip along with my brown caymans and maybe one more pair of new caymans if I can find some I like!)

 

[HunnyPots]

For me, Crocs are wonderful for standing all day but horrible for walking all day. I think it may be because I have narrow feet and skinny ankles and I just wobble too much when walking in them. Clearly, I need more support. Wish I could buy "real" shoes with the Crocs footbed - that would be perfection.

 

[sydneysmom]

I LOVE my Crocs !! I was also one of those people that thought they were super ugly, so I held out. Well, silly me. I finally got them and it was love.

I actually just got my DH the scutes and me the flip flops for our Sept trip. I don't know if he'll wear them all day in the parks....he's a sneaker kind of guy for walking. (his back will hurt if he wears them too long walking around too) Me, I love flip flops. I normally wear J.Crew flip flops, which I think are awesome. So I'll trade off the Crocband flip flops and J.Crew flip flops. Neither give me any trouble at all.

 

[Chrisbeary]

I wear my "Patricia" style crocs and love them....
I cannot wear regular crocs as I need a little heal or wedge, if I wear flat shoes, my back hurts for days.

I just bought a pair of the "Patricia's" today and have been wearing them around the house. I have Plantar Fasciitis and they feel so good on my feet. I will definitely be taking them on our trip this summer and switching them out in the middle of the day with my sneakers.

 

[keypooh90]

I alternate between reebok's sneakers and my Disney crocs. I'll wear my sneakers one day, and crocs the next.

 

[catne]

have plantar fac. too, and find that even new crocs don't provide enough support for walking miles & miles. I must wear good quality athletic shoes in parks (new balance is current fave.) But I like my crocs for after-park time...kind of give the dogs a nice massage at the end of the day.