I’ll never forget the first time I saw them… It was about six years ago when Mary and I were visiting our cousin, David, who lives in Sydney.

“What are they?” I asked. At the time I was holding back a giggle as I looked at David’s ugly blue plastic shoes that appeared to be a cross between plastic clogs with holes in and galoshes (which wouldn’t have been protective because of all the holes in them).

“These, my dear cousin, are the most comfortable shoes ever made,” David began, ” and you can wear them anywhere and do anything in them.”

Mary and I looked in amazement and disbelief.

“Don’t they make your feet sweaty?” asked my sensible sister.

“Not at all,” David answered, “because these are the real Crocs, which are expensive. The cheap imitations might be a different story. Isn’t that true Wendy?”

“Crikey, you bet! You gotta have the real Crocs – they’ll set you back forty bucks but it’s worth it. We live in ours,” enthused David’s girlfriend.

A few days later Mary and I were in a tourist shop in Manly`when we noticed a big rack of ladies’ Crocs.

“Do you figure they’re the fake ones, that make your feet smelly?” I asked Mary.

“I reckon so,” she said knowingly, “These are only twelve dollars.”

“It must be cheaper plastic than the authentic Crocs,” I suggested.

Mary agreed. Nevertheless, my feet were soon clad in an attractive bright yellow pair of size tens (eight in English sizing) and, rather dumbfounded by the sight, I stood eyeing my feet in the mirror. The fake Crocs resembled two big yellow paddles with holes in them – and I considered their usefulness in swimming in creeks. However, as I have rarely, especially in adulthood, been tempted to jump into a creek for pleasure, I thought better of it. Oddly enough, bereft of the paddles, my large feet seemed instantly much daintier than ever before and, Cinderella-like, I slipped my feet back into my comfy sandals, which had never caused my feet to sweat.

The years passed by without the slightest temptation on my part to buy a pair of “the most comfortable shoes ever made”… until last year. My mum and I were at Trago Mills (our favourite store which sells almost everything) and, there they were, a whole rack of Crocs in chrome yellow, electric-green and hot-pink.

“Look Mum,” I said, “These are only two-pounds seventy-five!”

“What would you do with them?” asked Mum, obviously unimpressed on the basis of aesthetics.

Well, I could have said that they would be excellent for swimming in creeks but I didn’t. Instead, I bought a pink pair for outdoor jobs like mowing, tiling etc… As a matter of fact I was wearing those same pink imitations on Sunday morning as Chris and I were preparing to go down to my mother’s place to do our “good fairies” bit; and I hesitated, wondering if I looked too ugly in my Crocs to be seen in public.

Two hours later, at about twelve o’clock, Chris and I met Mary in the car-park outside Mum’s place (she was bringing our mother home as we were leaving). We had a little chat, as you do, while Chris brought the car around.

“You look very pretty today,” I said as I kissed my sister goodbye.

“So do you. You are always pretty Darling,” Mary turned as if to walk on and then she looked back and laughed, “Especially in those Crocs!!!”

I knew I shouldn’t have worn those ugly Crocs, although I have to admit that they are quite comfortable and not too sweat inducing even though they are only the fake Crocs that cost two-pounds seventy-five.