Did you ever sit back, look at your feet and think… “How do I make these feet look more Y2K?” Okay maybe not. I understand it’s a bit of a random thought to have, but leave it to the reigning queen of Top Dawg Entertainment to be able to predict that the future was going to be all about the past. Sza x Crocs came together in a legendary collaboration a few months ago to create two signature style ways that look like they came straight from the dawn of the 2000s.
Fashion is cyclical. As time goes forward, we watch as the new generation of consumers with expendable income longs for the nostalgia of the past – and the 2020s are no different. The millennials and Gen Z’ers are longing for the simpler times. The times where all we had to worry about was if our Tamagotchi was alive in between classes, and whether or not the entire computer network grid was going to catastrophically crash at the stroke of the millenia. Sza x Crocs have tapped into that nostalgia with their latest creations.
Now by this time, you may be asking yourself “what do Y2K feet look like exactly” and before we just drop the imagery, we want to try to paint the picture.
Introducing: The Sza X Crocs Collab
The Sza x Croc collab looks like they belonged on the feet of Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears as the then couple walked the red carpet of the MTV awards. Does that help? The infamous pair wore even more infamous – and matching – outfits. Are you starting to get the vision? In 2001 JT and Britney made one hell of a statement by showing up in head-to-toe denim suits adorned in Swarovski crystals and acid wash.
The Texas Tuxedo. The Dynamic Duo. Whatever you wanted to call it, denim on denim on denim was the vibes back then, and Sza is grabbing the Delorean and taking us back in time. Available in the traditional clog style is the “Crush” but with a platform style heel for added oomph, or in a dual-strap “Cozzzy” Birkenstock-esque buckle slide version. Both come with ultra soft, faux fur lining for a little added luxury and comfort.
As is tradition with Crocs, the Sza collab also features a collection of Jibbitz (you know, the little charms that you can stick on top for added flair) that come in iconic Y2K styles. Floppy disks, flip phones, puka shells, and macaroni noodles among others.
With the collection coming out a bit before her last album dropped, they’ve been sold out since before they came out, and remain sold out on the official Crocs website. Calling around to local shoe stores in the area that carried Crocs proved the same. They’re near impossible to get your hands on, and your best bet for trying to score a pair is off a website like StockX or Poshmark. Due to the high demand, it’s almost a guarantee that resellers are going to double the original asking price ($75 and $80 respectively).
Who Is Crocs going to collaborate with next?
The recent collaboration marks the second one that Sza x Crocs have embarked on, and considering the success, I can only imagine more will be on the horizon. Crocs has managed to come out of the proverbial mud and transform themselves from a clunky garden shoe meant for digging in the dirt into a high-profile streetwear brand in a way that is almost mind boggling. Not only does their list of artists’ collabs continue to grow, but it manages to cross boundaries and genres to find a place for any and everyone.
From musical powerhouses like Bad Bunny, Sza, Diplo, Post Malone, and Justin Bieber; to high-end fashion houses like Balenciaga, Takashi Murakami and Barney’s New York, the choices Crocs seem to make on their partnerships don’t miss. Each iteration has not only immediately sold out upon release, but has required a lottery system just to get the chance to purchase them.
Like most anomalies in streetwear, the exponentially growing success of Crocs may have a plateau – but at the moment, it seems like the sky’s the limit.