The story started when Crocs and luxury brand Balenciaga collaborated and debuted the first-ever platform crocs at Paris Fashion Week 2017. Fashion magazines
and critics named it the ugliest shoe Balanceia ever made. Despite the backlash, it became one of the most popular footwear & earned a chunk of profit for both brands. The result is the Stiletto Crocs collaboration between Crocs and Balenciaga this summer.
After the big fuss, Crocs eventually came up with their Crocband Platform Clog line. Then a new kind of Crocs was born. You guessed it right; as a huge Crocs lover and for general curiosity, I had to know, are platform crocs worth it? Are Platform Crocs comfortable? Read down below to learn my unbiased and honest review:
What are Platform Crocs?
Platform shoes were born due to the need to stand out or differentiate class and avoid mud in the 15th century. Fortunately, their purpose and style changed throughout the years and took a turn in the 2000s. After Paris Fashion Week 2017, Crocs came up with their own Crocband Platform Clog line.
Crocs original collaborative platform has heels of almost 6 inches and a price tag above $700. Eventually, Creative Director of Crocs James Gardner came up with the plan to merge a comfortable length of heels with classic crocs clogs. So, platform crocs are a classic clog with max two inches symmetrical heels attached to it.
Four reasons to Love Platform Crocs
I’ve tried out Crocband platform clogs and Corcos x Balenciaga Platform crocs for half a month, and I found them to be relatively more excellent than expected. I’ve made some points below so you can understand clearly:
Comfort
I notice that the colgs are from the classic and Crocs’ unique croslite material. If you don’t know what Crostile is, then it’s a crocs technology resin that makes the inside of the crocs comfortable. For this crocbands clog, I found it to be very sturdy outside.
The interior was non-marking and fitted my feet like a sock. Also, after wearing it for about six hours, this didn’t cause any ankle pain. However, I can’t say the same for the Crocs x Balenciaga ones because their heels are pretty tall. Those are better for occasional wear.
So if getting comfort is your concern, you can easily choose Platform Crocs
Style
The 1.5 platform provides unisex heels that come in different colors. It is the same classic hole clog style, just with a platform. I added some Jibbitz to make my crocbands pop up. It goes with almost every attire I wear.
The pivot stripe provides a back to 2000s fashion moment. However, when it comes to the Balenciaga ones, they were the showstoppers. It had jibbitz attached to it and worked great with flowy dresses and high-waisted Korean jeans. But I found it difficult to style these six-inch platforms as I’m not used to tall heels.
However, Crocsband is great for practical use, but Balenciaga ones are suitable for parties.
Made to last
The crocs’ platforms are made from rubber outsole, and the inner is from Crostile. Not only are these comfortable both the platforms provide extra stability for the shoes to balance. Crocs are durable, and while walking these platforms, I encountered muddy streets.
Let me tell you, the platforms did a great job protecting my feet. It took one hand wash to rinse the mud away. Also, there were no wrinkles on the shoes at all. Even the jibbitz in the crocs x Balenciaga platforms were intact and new. Crocs also claim crocbands platforms can provide full 360-degree service from water to sand. These are good as the traditional classic lined clogs.
Replacement of platform heels
Platform crocs’ soles are from ethylene-vinyl acetate sole, making it heavy duty. Regular heels and platforms come from wooden or rubber soles. The inner shoe area usually pressurizes feet to stay in a particular shape. Crocband clogs are as comfortable as regular clogs, so there’s enough space for them to take a breath and feel cozy.
However, the Crocs x Balacniga one is better than common platform heels. Even though they don’t look as pleasing as regular platform heels, they do a great job keeping the feel comfy. As a result, I could walk very easily wearing platform crocs. So, I would say these are excellent replacements for typical high heels.
Do Platform Crocs run small?
Platform Crocs do not run narrow or small. They usually run true to size. So go for the right size while choosing your platform Crocs.
Are Platform Crocs good for your feet?
Yes, Platform Crocs are good for your feet.
Do Platform Crocs cause any foot pain as stilettos?
From my experiences and different forums, I will say no. The rubber exterior and crostile interior make it very comfortable for the feet. Also, it doesn’t cause any foot or ankle pain. Stilettos are pretty painful if you have any foot pain issues. Louboutins do tremendous, but they are not as comfortable as Crocs platforms.
Stilettos have 4 to max 12inches in height. The support of the shoes is the skinny pointy stand at the back. So, it creates an unrealistic position for your feet that causes strain in feet muscles after extended long wear. Platform crocs have a symmetrical sole that doesn’t pressurize feet and cause pain.
How can I pair my outfit with platform crocs?
Crocbands platform crocs are great for everyday styling. During my 15 days walk, I styled these platforms with t-shirts and jeans; they worked just fine. Somewhat, they give me a vibe like my Adidas platforms. Platform crocs work great with flared and high-waisted pants for both men and women. You can style it with a tank top or a halt shirt.
The tricky part was styling the Cross x Balenciagas. These shoes are already six inches tall without the upper sole. Whatever I wore, the shoes were the eye-catcher itself. I recommend styling these with minimalist clothing or midi dresses like PFW 2017 runway. However, it works great with a goth look too. I recommend trying Crocs Bistro or Alice shoes rather than platforms for work.
Some Popular Platform Shoes
Classic Platform Clog:
Platform Crocs lines are mainly designed for women. These have 1.6 inches wedge heels and also include the classic clog upper. Crocs have made them in solid colors and graphics, and depth strips.
Like classic crocs, these also include the comfort and sport mode version. You only need to put the pivot strip in the front for better grip for sport mode. Crocs have kept their classic jibbitz holes for users to customize.
Patricia Sandal:
Patricia sandal is your basic yet Crocs version of comfortable shoes for your feet. These sandals complement any kind of clothing and any kind of style. It comes with a 2 inches heel and provides a semi lift.
The sole is a massage poid graded footbed, so it is safe for women over 50. As this is a strap sandal, there’s no space for jibbitz by Crocs made the strips a little shiny for a minimum fashion.
Solane Shine Wedge Flip:
These wedges are mainly for summer and spring rather than winter. Crocs provide a clean outlook for a practical and functional look. These heels are 1.5 inches and are also great for older women.
Crostile foam cushion sole ensures your feet don’t hurt even after a six six-hour walk. Unfortunately, these don’t include the sport mode like the classic clogs.
Brooklyn Low Wedge:
For more of a versatile and all-day kind of footwear Brooklyn Low Wedge is the one users should look out for. Unlike most Crocs shoes, these are made from Revolutionary LiteRide foam in the innersole.
You can choose at max 1.7 inches feel while getting these wedges. Crocs have kept the heel level decision on the customers. However, these include the two thick straps that hold feet all day. You can wear these to your work and even downtown NY without any problem.
Limitations of Platform Shoes
Platform shoes have been popular around the world for the right reasons. Even though most platforms are stylish and intelligent, they do have their wrong sides.
As a normal human biomechanical behavior, your feet tend to walk in a certain way and shape. Ultimately, it improves the center of gravity while you’re walking. But with platform shoes, the platform interrupts the center, resulting in falling if you are not careful. Platform shoes are not flexible eleven they do better than typical heels. You can break your ankle if you take a wrong turn.
Platform crocs are tighter than regular clogs. So one downside is you have to size one size up. Also, the Crocs x Balenciaga platform heels are about six inches tall. They again can cause you an accident if you are not walking correctly or lose balance.
Conclusion
So, are platform crocs worth it? From my experience, I’m down for buying a new crocband platform clog and Classic bar clogs. They are lightweight and provide me with extra height. I could walk errands wearing those and value for money. Also, Crcosband is the only platform crocs for men. The Crocs x Balenciaga is OK, but I expected it to be more comfortable due to its reputation and luxury. The six inches heels are not my cup of tea. But they are cozier than my regular heels.