In the Loop Podcast: NZ high school shoe debate - is it okay to wear Crocs?

Should Kiwi kids be allowed to wear Crocs as part of their school uniform? Photo / Supplied

Crocs have long been associated with gardening, grandparents and poor taste, but recently the shoe has had a style resurgence.

Once relegated to the fashion naughty corner, the clunky clogs are now being spotted on the hooves of stars like Justin Bieber, Kim Kardashian and even Post Malone.

However, with this renaissance comes a question, are they appropriate footwear for the schoolyard?

For many adults, donning a ratty pair of roman-sandals or brittle ballet flats is a rite of passage, a pit stop on the way to fully-fledged professional working attire.

But for others, the stringent uniform regulations are outdated, expensive and in need of a modern-day revamp.

One Kiwi parent is grappling with this issue after her “rapidly growing” son was told last Thursday his Crocs didn’t comply with one school’s uniform code.

“We didn’t even think twice about whether the Crocs were sandals or a clog. I hadn’t even used the word clog for years until last week, when the school decided Crocs weren’t a sandal but a clog.

“To me, it doesn’t really matter what they’re called - at the end of the day, they’re a summer shoe with a heel strap.”

Her son had even blacked out the “little white crocodile” logo so the Crocs would comply.

Today on the Herald’s In the Loop podcast hosts Katie Harris and Cheree Kinnear weigh in on the debate and discuss once and for all whether they believe schools need to loosen up, or hold their ground, when it comes to footwear rules.

Hear how the school responded, and what the public response has been like, in this week’s episode.

Later on the show, the latest on Harry Styles and Olivia Wilde, more shocking gun violence in the US and the heartbreaking deadly attack at an Auckland dairy.