Atreyee Poddar
Not long ago, Crocs, Birkenstocks, and chunky ‘dad shoes’ were ridiculed as the ultimate fashion no-nos. Fast-forward to today, and they’re front-row regulars at fashion weeks, seen on A-listers, and even reimagined by luxury designers. But how did clunky, comfort-first footwear become the epitome of cool?
Fashion’s obsession with practicality has been building for years. As streetwear and athleisure took centre stage, traditional ideas of ‘stylish’ shifted. Sneakers like the Balenciaga Triple S and Adidas’ Yeezy line made chunky, oversized silhouettes trendy—paving the way for Crocs collaborations with Salehe Bembury and Birkenstocks’ luxe makeover with Manolo Blahnik.
Gen Z’s love for ‘ugly’ fashion is rooted in nostalgia. These shoes, once worn by dads and suburban moms, are now ironic, self-aware statements. Comfort-focused designs from the early 2000s are making a comeback, proving that what was once unfashionable can always be rebranded.
With the rise of normcore and ‘quiet luxury’, the trend isn’t fading anytime soon. Whether it’s Birkenstock clogs or platform Crocs, function-over-form footwear is here to stay.