Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs
It’s a Croc block!
Dozens of schools in at least 20 states across the U.S. have banned students from wearing Crocs to class.
School administrators claim students are more likely to struggle to walk when wearing the shoes — which could be deadly in an emergency.
“It’s actually a safety hazard,” Stoney Pritchett, principal of Bessemer City High School in Alabama, told TODAY. “Man, they can twist the knees, twist the ankles, things like that.”
“In the hallway, kids are moving, things are happening,” he said, insisting that students need full mobility — which he claims Crocs don’t provide.
Other schools have also banned the popular shoes, citing a growing number of trips and falls involving the clogs. Many students don’t use the safety strap behind the heel, which is partly to blame for the accidents, school officials said, according to a Bloomberg report.
Some schools say the shoes are a distraction as students play with the collectible charms or throw their shoes at classmates, according to the report.
The Croc-blocking debate has bubbled since the shoes were first released in 2002 but has garnered more attention this school year with more places partaking as the shoes have become a Gen Alpha staple.
“Whenever someone mentions a foot injury, the first thing everyone says is, ‘I bet you they were wearing Crocs,” Oswaldo Luciano, who has two kids and works as a school nurse in New York, told Bloomberg.
Crocs have been banned on escalators at Disney World and certain medical facilities and labs citing safety concerns.
A spokesperson for the brand told TODAY: “The Classic Clog is a comfortable, casual shoe that is appropriate for everyday wear. We are not, nor do we market ourselves as, a specialty or performance brand.”
The shoes — made from croslite, a foam-like material — have become incredibly popular due to their comfortability, collectible Jibbitz charms, collaborations with big brands like Peanuts and Taco Bell and a wave of celebrity endorsements coming from the likes of Justin Bieber and Rihanna.
About 150 million pairs of Crocs are sold every year, the company told TODAY.
However, the footwear is not popular among school administrators, who claim the Crocs fall in line with the no open-toed shoes policy many schools enforce.
The Croc cult isn’t too happy.
“Are you serious?” one Bessemer City High School student remembered thinking when asked to swap her shoes, she told TODAY.
Other students have been punished further than just having to make a costume change. Several pupils have sat throughs in-school suspension.
When one young girl’s mother learned she had been suspended for her fashion choice, the student had her electronic privileges revoked for two weeks.
While many students don’t agree with the ban, experts shared that adults’ concerns aren’t irrational.
“Crocs can easily get caught in equipment, causing the child to fall or injure their foot or rip a toenail off. Things I see in the office on a daily basis,” podiatrist Dr. Priya Parthasarathy explained.
A study published in Footwear Science found that the lack of heel support in Crocs makes wearers more likely to trip or fall.
Parthasarathy said that the shoes can be worn in moderation without worry and are great for recovery after a workout — just don’t run in them.
Which, unfortunately, is what Nieka Richard, an assistant principal at a middle school in California, told Parents that students may have to do in an emergency.
“Since lawmakers have yet to come to a resolution regarding gun control and nationwide safety regulations within learning institutions, at the school and district level, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to best control what we can to give our schools a semblance of safety.”
School officials believe it’s better to be safe than sorry in your Crocs.
