There's this species of west side parent who's been infected with the horrible aesthetic of the Croc. Like the Birkenstock before it, this shoe is supposedly favored for its comfort, but really its just a slap in the face of good taste. Favored by those post-hippie granola-munching righteous attendees of the Farmers Market in Santa Monica, or those obscenely wealthy and entitled alterna-Dad's who haunt the west side, the shoe is for the tasteless and the emasculated.
It's particularly egregious to see a parent, with children in tow, and to discover the entire family shod in these plastic blobs. Andy Warhol said that the most bourgeois thing was to fear looking bourgeois. I say that the true revolutionary is the Man in the Brooks Brothers Suit because in many senses a conservative aesthetics is today the most revolutionary stance possible.
With that sentiment in mind, I'd like to suggest classic, timeless alternatives to the Croc. These are suitable for men and women. These looks especially look good on a beautiful woman because the classic, simple and plain design provides a blank slate for beauty.
Among these classic icons of casual elegance are the Bass Weejun and the LL Bean Camp Moc, though I think that due to the offshore labor and cheap material of these once iconic designs, the alternatives offered by New England companies of Alden loafer and Quoddy Canoe Moc are superlative. I also think Russell Moccasin Co. makes the best Camp/Canoe moc.
I also think the Sperry Topsider is going to make a come back. It will grace the New York Times Sunday Styles Section within 9 to 11 months. But like the Weejun, the Topsider is no longer the quality it once was. The smart money knows that Russell currently makes the best boat shoe.
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