150. Crocs

Producer Megan shares an ode to the world’s ugliest shoe.

Transcripts may not appear in their final version and are subject to change.

I’m Megan Palmer, and it’s going to be okay. 

Growing up, swimming and synchronized swimming were my sports. I loved everything about them — especially synchro. The water, the teamwork, the creativity. The performance, the exhilaration, the passion. It grabbed me from the very beginning. 

And while I was completely enamored with the sport, I need to confess something. Synchronized swimmers are not exactly equivalent to cheerleaders in the world of American athletics. Our practice schedule was so demanding that when I wasn’t at the pool, I was studying. I very rarely went out. My skin was always dry from being in the pool every day, no matter how often I moisturized. I perpetually smelled of chlorine. When I walked out of practice in the middle of the Minnesota tundra, my hair immediately froze into icicles. I was not exactly the picture of glamor.

Most of these occupational hazards, I accepted as part of the gig. But me and my teammates went above and beyond what was necessary. Because we adopted a standard of footwear that many swimmers love, and the general public hates. They’re gaudy, they’re squeaky, and to this day I still wear them. I bet you’ve already guessed it. It’s Crocs. 

I got my first pair of Crocs when I was 13, because all the cool older swimmers had them. Mine were a bright lightning yellow, and I stuffed them full of the jibbitz charms that Crocs sells to fill the holes of their shoes. My family thought they were the tackiest things ever. I wore them to competitions, to school, on the weekends. The tread became so worn down that they were gray and slick on the bottom. I tried wearing them in the winter and I frequently would slip on the ice when I walked outside. Don’t ask me why I didn’t take that as a sign to a new pair!

When I got to college, I only wore Crocs to synchro competitions — I guess I cared more about what my peers at school thought of me now that I was older. And then eventually, without much thought, I just stopped altogether. 

[AUDIO OF ME COACHING ON DECK]

At least I did until last year, when I took on another job as a synchronized swimming coach, at a club with almost 100 athletes. And as a nod to my own swimming when I was younger, one of the 3 pairs of shoes I packed for myself when I moved for this job was a pair of Crocs.

[FADE DOWN COACHING AUDIO]

The pair I had packed had a blue and white pattern that made it look like the surface of a pool. My kids noticed pretty early on that I wore Crocs to the pool deck every day. They would compliment them at the beginning of practice, and show me their own pairs that they were so proud of before they left. It was actually very heartwarming to know that over ten years after I got my own first pair of Crocs, that little swimmers internationally were keeping on the tradition.

Every day on my way to the pool, I would park my car extra far away, because I relished the ability to clear my mind in between my feelings and co workday and when I had to go coach. It allowed me to process my day, call a friend from back home, and just ground myself. And on almost all of those walks, I was wearing my Crocs. I made that long walk to the pool 6 days a week. After a while, my Crocs had even thinner soles than my first pair had.

In that first year I learned a lot about myself as a coach. I became confident and assured. I saw my athletes grow by leaps in bounds in their abilities over the course of just a few months. And before I knew it it was the end of our season. We were putting on our summer showcase for family and friends. It was a long, long day. I think I was at the pool for 15 hours straight. 

But it was one of the best nights of my life. Being able to see my kids perform at their absolute best, with true joy and pride on their faces, was indescribable. I hugged them all after their swims and wept from happiness myself. 

After the show ended, I expected to just clean up the pool area and go celebrate with my friends. But as the spectators started to clear, one of the teams I coached approached me and handed me a gift bag. I was surprised and delighted, and had no idea what was under the tissue paper. 

And when I pulled it out, it was, of course, a fresh pair of Crocs. 

OUTRO MUSIC

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