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We received the following very thoughtful email from Sarah L:

Hi Crocs haters,

Although we have theological differences regarding footwear, I have to say that I enjoyed watching your videos on Facebook today. I really would love it if you tried microwaving a pair of Crocs - their website strongly urges you not to unless you want to miniaturize your shoes.
Your site and its logo are pretty clever. Keep up the good work.

Can I share my own love/hate crocs story with you? In the fast few years of college, I have gone from hating to adoring to tolerating these bizarre shoes. First, I thought they were fugly. Then, my friend Maura bought 3 pairs and I caved in to buy some for my closed-toe-shoe requiring summer job. $55 dollars and a year later, I have narrowed the times and places where these shoes are acceptable.

Pro Crocs points
First and foremost, the circulation-stimulating nubby things on the sole helped me though my recovery from a circulatory disorder. Thanks to the bumpy footbed, my legs didn't get nearly as tired and cramped and I could actually walk or stand for long periods of time.
The waterproof/quick drying nature of the shoes is great during the warm spring deluges that attack my area of Tidewater Virginia. More stable than flip-flops, less soggy than sneakers.
On little kids, these are easy to slip on and off. Also you can remove sandbox debris easily. I worked at a preschool this summer, and boy was I glad half my kids didn't need shoelaces tied every 2 seconds.
The Crocs company is gradually seeing the light about the hideousness of their shoe, and offering more conventional looking options.
In a neutral color worn with long pants, Crocs are less garish. (Mine are a tasteful beige. I also own the silver ballet flats)
Anti Crocs points
Scrapbooking housewives embrace the most hideous hot pink variation of the shoe. Do I want to be associated with that demographic? Will my shoes make me give bad first impressions?
You do walk funny in them.
The sizing is odd - they run large because the shoes stretch out as you break them in.
You get pebbles, mulch, and dirt inside your shoes constantly.
The Crocs site advises you to "treat your feet to a new pair" once the tread is worn out. This a nice way of saying that once you have worn them to death, you will lose any traction once the shoes get wet. Some friends and I have almost wiped out on tile floors thanks to wet, treadless crocs.
And now for the weirdest Crocs story ever - they may be "anti-microbial" but they also absorb odors. After filling up my parent's car with gas like the good daughter I am, I discovered that some gasoline residue on the pavement had seeped into the bottom of my shoes. The Crocs reeked of Exxon-Mobil so badly my mom banished them from the house. Several hosings, scrubbings, and nights on the front porch didn't help. Finally, after a day or so of running around campus, the smell was gone. But now I have to watch where I step at the gas station.
As time passes and I get ready to head out into the "real world", I think my Crocs will have to be relegated to a role as house slippers and rain shoes. Although those new sandals look kindof cute..... If Crocs want to keep my business I suggest they sell nubby innersoles I can put in my normal-looking shoes.

Keep on hatin'
Sarah L

Interesting stuff! Anyway, what's happening in your life, everyone? Me, I'm fine. Journalism school is getting tougher, you know how it is. I recently read a Sue Grafton novel and it only sucked slightly less than I thought it would. Anyway, I think what I'll update with next is a series of photos of the shoes that I wear. Then you can insult my taste and it will be grand.

How about that TV show Lost? I love that show.