Tuesday Shoesday: Using “Crocs” and “Cute” In the Same Sentence?

As spring semester gives way to summer, I’d like to try a new project. In the spirit of Wanderfood and Wandergear Wednesdays, I’m thinking of Tuesday Shoesday: a (mostly kinda trying-to-be) weekly feature about shoes. Are you with me? Are you feeling it?

First up: Crocs Boat Shoes for women.

So far, I only have the classic, cloggy-lookin’ Crocs (in hot pink, of course). They  are shamefully comfortable. In general, I restrict them to Home Use Only. There are exceptions (of which, mind you, air travel is not one.)

Living in Central America last fall taught me many things, including to always a bring a sun hat and to respect the Crocs. Crocs were invaluable in Costa Rica, such as the morning in Tárcoles when we accompanied fisherpeople on their small boats.Though I took some ribbing for my footwear, I felt vindicated when some of the fishermen were also sporting Crocs (in more demure hues). Flip flops can disappear without warning. Classic Crocs have that heel strap that lets you know that everything’s going to be alright.

Another acceptable destination for wearing Crocs outside of the home is to the pool.  My WanderMan and I are heading out soon for Symes Hot Springs, a place we visited in 2012. Sure, flip flops will do the job. But Crocs have more support and more toe-protection than flip flops. They are, as the web site claims, “incredibly light and buoyant.”

Recently I caught sight of these Crocs boat shoes  in navy and pink (photos from Crocs.com). Will I have to revise my thinking about this brand? Will I have to take back all of those snarky things I’ve said?

Change is the only constant, eh? As our buddy Ralph Waldo Emerson affirms, “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.” Far be it from me to cling to a belief that’s shown to be errant. I will eschew hobgoblins and expand my mind!

I will also gladly wear these Crocs boat shoes out of the house in a heartbeat. I would wear them to a hot springs, or to the coffee shop. If I had rich friends with boats and cabins on Lake Coeur d’Alene, I would hazard these shoes with a sun dress or perhaps rolled-up jeans a cute t-shirt. Readers, if any of you want to invite me out on your boat, I’ll gladly honor you and your style with a blog post. You know where to find me.

The other day, I wore my faded neon-pink khakis from the Gap. I call them my Safety Pants because they’re so visible. At the sound of “Safety Pants,” one of my students mentioned ‘The Safety Dance.” Oh, the 80s. To my students, I confessed my surprise when I first heard of a 90s party. But of course, the millennial people’s 90s are like my 80s. And I enjoy a good 80s party. Sometimes my closet feels like an 80s party.

Which brings me to the subject of this post. Between the talk of Safety Pants and the 90s, we ended up on a google search for MC Hammer pants, yielding the picture above (from neato tumblr ninetieslithium).

Drop crotch trousers did not perish in the 90s. People magazine’s Style Watch recently took Justin Bieber to task for his love of the spacious garment (photo below from their site) and offered hypotheses for why Bieber persists with the lower-than-thou crotch. I’m neither Belieber nor hater. It makes sense that the drop crotch is amenable to his dance moves (one of People’s hypotheses. The same must have been true for MC Hammer, no?). And Bieber’s choice of that lavender leopard print is great.

WanderChic regulars know that I feel drawn to these trends of yester-decade. Part of the challenge is walking the line between vintage-inspired and costume.

I like these pants, above, from etsy seller Lila’s Fashion Joint (both photos from their site). The pants are 94% cotton and 6% spandex/lycra. I love the pocket design, like fancy canteens or the shapeliest cargo pockets ever. Or maybe it’s an expression of my inner Katniss Everdeen?

I’m also struck by the unexpected placement of the zippers in the front, a unique way to taper the leg. You’re both Hazmat- and  runway-ready.

On the lively blog Man Repeller, drop crotch items are a repeat offender. I like that MR takes fashion risks and dresses to her own taste. The blog is an exercise in loving the unloveable (or underloved, I guess). I’m a softie for several items on Man Repeller’s list of culprits: clogs, jumpsuits, and my beloved shoulder pads.

But if the genius behind Man Repeller feels great in overalls and a jeweled ear cuff, and I feel like a million bucks in a shoulder-padded blazer/flotation device, then how could that be repellent?

I realize that this blog is about travel, and that desks, bookshelves, and filing cabinets are big and bulky and don’t travel well (usually). But I’ve been thinking about not only dressing with style, but also the ways in which one’s living and working spaces give off vibes.

The topic’s been on my mind in part because of this rad article about Workspaces of the Famously Creative.

The workspace above belongs to food writer Amanda Hesser (photo is from fromyourdesks.com). I admire both its personality and its restraint. There are splashes of color (that stapler! the painted orange!). Things are tidy, and there’s a window to stare out of (a must-have for the daydreaming that leads to good thinking and, one hopes, good writing). I look at this picture and think, dang, I could eat off of that desk (she’s a food writer. Perhaps she does).

My office at my university is more of a clutterbox. It doesn’t have quite as many geologic layers as does the workspace of sculptor Alexander Calder (fromyourdesks.com). I have to say that do some good thinking in that box. It’s a sanctuary for fauna and knickknackery rescued from thrift stores.

I’ve also been thinking about workspaces at home. In just a few short months, I’ll be plighting my troth with my WanderMan and moving into his house, the Big House, I call it. We’re trying to figure out how to combine our spaces. Where will I get my writing, reading, and thinking done in the Big House? What about when I come home from work and just need to stare at a wall? What does it take to make a space feel like your own? (OK, so these questions are not going to be answered in one blog post, no matter how winsome.)