Owner Review by Karl Daniel Fuderer

Owner Review: Crocs Beach Sandals
Report Date: 19 June 06

Personal Biographical Information:
Full Name: Karl Daniel Fuderer aka Buzz Lightyear
Age: 23 years old
Gender: Male
Height: 175 cm (5' 7")
Weight: 85 kg (187 lbs)
Email: zkyf@yahoo.com
Region: Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Background:
I started backpacking almost a year ago, after converting from cycle touring. I’ve experienced lightweight and middleweight backpacking, with my carried weight ranging from 25 kg (55 lb) when very remote for 2+ weeks, to 14 kg (37 lb) when food is accessible every few days. I sleep in a 2-man tent, unless shelter is provided such as on the Bibbulmun Track where I carry a mosquito head net and ground sheet. I like to hike in as wide a variety of locations and terrains as possible, from desert to forest to mountain, using an extraordinary range of equipment.

Product Specifics:
Manufacturer: Crocs Inc
Product: beach
Year of manufacture: 2004
URL: http://www.crocs.com/
Listed Weight: N/A
Measured weight: left: 154 gm (5.4 oz); right: 153 gm (5.3 oz); both: 307 gm (10.8 oz)
Size: L (W10-11; M8-9)
Colour: Khaki
MSRP: Not Listed

Product Description (paraphrased from website): Beach is the original Crocs model. It is comfortable, cool, and moulds to my feet with an orthotic foot bed and advanced toe-box ventilation system. The slip-resistant and non-marking soles mean I can wear them anywhere and the anti-microbial and odour resistant croslite PCCR material make for healthy feet. The Italian styled ergonomic shoes have wide roomy
foot beds and to top it off they are buoyant for those times when I want to walk underwater without worrying if they come off they’ll stay down there. They come in all the colours of the rainbow, and a numerous range of sizes, from 4 to 13 US foot sizes in 6 different sizes: XS (W only), S, M, L, XL, XXL (M only).

To me the rubber is soft enough to provide the perfect amount of cushioning without wearing quickly, and pliable enough to bend, fold and manipulate, yet also firm and springy enough to bounce back into shape after such treatment. The rubber grips relatively well to skin, reducing movement of the foot while being worn, but can be removed from my foot just as easily as any other sandal I’ve worn.

Testing Environment:
My Crocs have travelled over 1500 km (932 mi) of trekking on terrain including sand dunes, swamp, mountain elevations to 1095 m (3592 ft), and very dense subtropical rainforest. Most of their life has been spent between 100 and 600 m (300 to 2000 ft) above sea level, on well-defined tracks in SW Western Australia surrounded by sparse trees and semi-dense low-lying shrub. Temperatures range from –14 C (7 F) on the coldest night to 35 C (95 F) on the hottest day, with averages ranging from 0 C (32 F) at night to 23 C (73 F) in daylight. I use them for walking on the beach, crossing rivers and around camp. When I am not wearing them they stay strapped to the side of my pack.

Crocs Beach

Field Review:
Introduction:
A pair of Crocs are a wonderful addition to my hiking gear. They wear well yet they are extremely comfortable on the soles of my feet after a long trek as they are a single layer of rubber cushioning. They require no maintenance whatsoever compared to my other footwear, and are possibly the lightest manufactured sandal on the world market. In my opinion it’s almost flawless. When I first saw them in a hiking shop in Perth I couldn’t believe my eyes. Here is a product that looks better than conventional sandals, is far simpler in design, has only one joint for the ankle strap, is entirely made of rubber and a small plastic hinge, and is priced well inside the range of hikers’ sandals.

Crocs break all the rules: bright, colourful, simple design, made from 100% cushioning material for the pleasurable experience my feet deserve after a long days walk in boots and gaiters. Unfortunately, Crocs only came in a select number of sizes, with one size sometimes covering 2 or 3 foot sizes. This means it was difficult for me to choose which size Crocs I wanted. There’s a pair that fit me perfectly without socks, but that would mean with socks on they wouldn’t fit and I would have to wear my boots on cold nights in camp. The next size up are 2 sizes to big, meaning they would fit perfectly on cold nights with 2 pairs of socks on, but be swimming in them on river and swamp crossings. Logic told me to go with the pair that is too big, and I have no regrets about that.

One complaint I have about more conventional sandals is that the multiple layer design tends to have a shorter life expectancy than I like, due to the adhesive bonding the layers together failing which frays the fabric around the edges. I also feel they can look commonplace and traditional so the crocs were a welcome surprise.

Treatment Received:
In all the travelling I have done around Western Australia, I have not spent a single night at an outback campsite without having worn my Crocs. They have been used to wade through rivers that were too deep to cross in my boots, and likewise through swamps, ocean inlets, and muddy crossings. They have been my favourite choice of beach walking footwear. The ventilation holes in the top and sides allow the water and sand to just wash out, cooling and cleaning my feet in the process. All this walking, both in and out of camp, has worn the grip serrations down to a nub, and in a few places sharp objects have punctured the sole. I have never experienced any injuries to my feet while wearing my Crocs. The percentage of foot area covered by the sandal is comparatively high despite the ventilation holes, and most dangerous small organisms, such as insects, snakes and marsupials, are unable to bite through the thick layer of rubber it is made of. The rubber is quite flexible and elastic. And even though I yank the ankle strap and pull the sandal down when removing them neither the hinge joint nor the rubber has had any problem or fault to date. Here is an example of how flexible the rubber is. A few times I needed to fold the sandals in half to fit them into the main part of my backpack. Upon arrival at my destination the Crocs spring back into perfect condition when I take them out.

Maintenance:
No maintenance has been required. On several occasions the Crocs have gotten very dirty, however no maintenance was required on any occasion since I didn’t have to worry about the dirt and moisture affecting the materials. If they were dirty when put on, I would simply submerge my feet in the water I was crossing and shake the dirt off, or rub one foot with the other. By the time I had walked across the hazard I was traversing, they would usually be clean.

Summary:
Crocs are a highly durable, highly visible, no nonsense, super simplistic sandal option for beach, bush and campsite walking. The super comfortable cushioning is a gratifying experience for my feet when they are in pain from long-term repetitive pressure application. The ultra-lightweight no-frills design is ideal for me, being a serious distance hiker. My current pair is almost totally worn, so I am currently in the market for replacement sandals, and I’m not seriously looking anywhere else except Crocs for my choices. Now which new Crocs product should I upgrade to?

Pros:
Ultra-lightweight
Comfortable
Durable
Flexible
Safe
Simple
Ventilating
No need to clean
Easy to put on and remove
Easy to see
Competitively affordable
Many colours
Lots of sizes

Cons:
None

Crocs Beach soles

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