Crocs have gone punk thanks to a Russian rave collective

Crocs have quickly risen from punchline to the mainstream, but they’ll take a quick deviation to appease a subculture far from it.

The foam clog specialists are collaborating with Little Big, a Russian punk-rave collective/band, on a pair of Classic Crocs that look as dangerous as they are comfy. Staple punk ornamentation covers the black Crocs — including spikes, chains, and safety pins that are a far cry from the usual cutesy Jibbitz. Capping off the hardcore clogs is an “Antipositive” print, complete with a frowny face and anarchy-style “A.”

This collaboration sparks several questions, foremost if collaborating with a brand as big as Crocs can ever be considered punk? The same possibility of cognitive dissonance was raised when Nike did an “emo” SB Dunk Low earlier this year, but then again we’re already far removed from the pure days of punk. Also on our minds: what exactly does a punk-rave look like, and can comfort be punk either?

There’s a pink pair, too — Slightly less intense, but no less spiky, is a pink pair of Crocs releasing as part of the collaboration. This pair sets itself apart with a charm bracelet replacing the chain, as well as faux piercings and sparkling gold “Little Big” branding.

While most of the adornments on both pairs can be placed and removed as desired by coming in as Jibbitz, the spikes are firmly embedded on both the heel and strap. Both also include massive “Little” and “Big” Jibbitz — and the numerous possibilities for your personal makeup in this case serve as a nice homage to the DIY ethos of punk and its distinct fashion sense.

Big in Russia, but how about here? — Little Big is one of the biggest bands in Russia right now, which is why its Crocs may end up being exclusive to the country. A dedicated landing page for the collab can be found on Crocs’ Russian website, but there’s no sign of it on the “.com” front. For now, we’ll just have to wait and see if Crocs thinks America is ready for its punk footwear before they drop on June 22 in Russia.