For those who have ever asked themselves if they should wear socks with Crocs then your dilemma has been solved thanks to one company that’s preparing to launch the rubber shoe with built-in socks.
New York-based streetwear brand, Alife, has collaborated with the shoe manufacturing company to produce a line of Crocs that feature three different styles, inspired by New York City’s downtown culture, one of which is the Sport Croc, which includes an attached tube sock.
Sold on the Alife website and in-store at Alife Rivington Club in New York starting June 14 for $140, the Sport Croc pays homage to socks and sandals style frequently seen throughout New York neighborhoods.
Unique: Alife, has collaborated with Crocs to produce the rubber shoe with built-in socks
Alife founder Rob Cristofaro told High Snobiety: ‘This style was born from part fashion trend, part hood reality, and the want of touching upon my youth.’
‘The tube sock was a staple for me while growing up in New York in the 1970s. In the boroughs of New York, you would see kids rocking socks with the adidas slides. The concept was really to take something as next-level as a Croc, and mix it with these elements.’
Along with the Sport Croc, the streetwear brand will be selling the Classic Croc for $80. It looks similar to the typical Croc, which costs $37.99, accept this time around, the shoe is branded with the Alife logo.
And rounding out the line with the most expensive shoe is the Art Croc, which costs $600 and features 3D printed Jibbitz (charms that people stick in the holes of their Crocs) in the shape of New York landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building and the Brooklyn Bridge.
Dedicated: The Sport Croc (pictured) pays homage to socks and sandals style frequently seen throughout New York neighborhoods
Simple: Along with the Sport Croc, the streetwear brand will be selling the Classic Croc for $80
‘The partnership with Crocs is our reintroduction to the game,’ Rob told Women’s Wear Daily. ‘When we began the conversation, nobody wanted to touch the Croc. People thought I was bugging, but whether you love them or hate them, Crocs are an iconic piece of footwear and they sell.’
Alife couldn’t have a better time to get back into the shoe game. The brand hasn’t produced shoes since 2011 but with its Croc collaboration comes the revival of its footwear, more clothing options and partnerships for the company.
Alife is currently working with Foot Locker Europe on a capsule collection and it hopes to work with other retailers including Dover Street Market, Barneys New York and Boon The Shop, according to WWD.
In the past, Alife has worked with Lacoste, Levi’s and Nike but believes that people are seeing less and less retail partnerships because ‘they don’t mean anything anymore’.
Inventive: Rounding out the line with the most expensive shoe is the Art Croc, which costs $600 and features 3D printed Jibbitz
Inexpensive: A regular pair of Crocs typically costs $37.99 on the shoes retailer’s website
Back at it: Alife isn’t the first brand to hop on the Crocs bandwagon because last October, Balenciaga debuted platform Crocs during Paris Fashion Week
‘I think that whole co-branded thing has been beat to hell. People are done with collabs because they don’t mean anything anymore,’ Rob said.
‘When Nike was coming to us, we were a platform that was introducing creative solutions to these projects. It wasn’t just doing it for the hell of coming out with a collaboration.’
And judging from its collaboration with Crocs, it still is a platform for introducing new ideas and styles – even if not everyone may find it fashionable.
But Alife isn’t the first brand to hop on the Crocs bandwagon because last October, Balenciaga debuted platform Crocs during Paris Fashion Week.
And despite the shoes outlandish appearance, once the $850 footwear was made available for pre-sale on the Barney’s website in early February, they sold out in a matter of hours.