Would You Run a Marathon in Crocs?

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Marathon season is winding down as the top runners in the world have recently embarked on the streets of Boston, San Francisco, and New York City to give their best shot at tackling the grueling 26.2 mile trek. Being the New York based operation we are at Sneaker Report, we covered the first 100 shoes to cross the finish line in NYC earlier this month, and noticed most finishers were laced up in either adidas, Nike, Asics, or any of the top other brands. One brand we didn't see was the ever popular lounging slip-on, Crocs, but one New Zealand teenager set out to make his case.

17-year-old Callum Robertson-Barnes finished 10th in the Kerikeri Half Marathon in New Zealand finishing with a time of 1 hour, 23 minutes, 3 seconds in a field of over 1,200 runners. Robertson-Barnes not only finished 10th, but making his accomplishment more amazing was the fact that he did it while wearing the rubber clogs known at Crocs that have become a household staple over the last few years. Robertson-Barnes told reporters that he couldn't find his actual running shoes the night before the race, and was left without many other options.

Robertson-Barnes opted for a pair of Crocs Classics, and unlike most people who wore them, decided to wear socks to prevent blisters. Amazingly, Robertson-Barnes cut his time from last year's race by over 30 minutes and says he would consider running in them again.

Despite Robertson-Barnes' tremendous accomplishment, we still think running a marathon in Crocs isn't the smartest idea, and can pose some negative affects. The overall design doesn't lend runners with the stability or support your looking for in a pair of runners, let alone ones that could stand up to a half marathon. Major props to Callum for pulling this feat off, but a marathon in Crocs isn't exactly topping our bucket list anytime soon.

[RunningComp]

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