Everyone loves their Crocs! Whether it’s wearing them around the house, decking them out in Jibbitz or sometimes even wearing them to work, Crocs are great to wear. They’re extremely comfortable, lightweight, easy to clean, resistant to sweat, stains and odor and anti-slip as well.
However, proper care with footwear (or any item for that matter) is important. It’s good to know: do Crocs shrink in the Sun? The answer is yes. Fortunately, there are ways you can re-form them and fix the problem.
What are Crocs made of?
It’s good to first start with the science so you can understand what’s going on. Crocs are made of a proprietary material known as croslite. It’s made of a polymer known as ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA). There are tremendous advantages to make footwear from it, but unfortunately it means the shoes will shrink when exposed to higher temperatures for extended periods. So you’ll be dealing with an issue you wouldn’t have with normal footwear.
How does this happen? Obviously, the sun is quite hot. When Crocs are heated, the molecular arrangement of the shoe becomes chaotic. The molecules lose tension and contract and the material actually shrinks. In the manufacturing process, this is actually desired as that’s how the shoes are molded and made. But when it’s without a mold, there is nothing to guide the material. It just shrinks. That’s why Crocs get warped in high heat.
What are common ways this happens?
It’s good to know of the common ways that this can happen so you can avoid them. Even though the fixes are quite easy, they do take some time and can be a little bit of a hassle. A little planning and care goes a long way.
There are some reports that the warping can happen as soon as 30 minutes. This is not much time. That’s less than the average grocery trip.
Obviously, if you live in a high heat area like Arizona, you’re more at risk of this happening. Others will probably only need to be concerned during the summer.
One of the most frequently reported cases is when the owner leaves his or her Crocs in a hot car. Sun light goes through the windows and is absorbed by the interior. So that’s why a car can get very hot when compared to outside temperatures.
Accidentally leaving Crocs in a car is quite easy to do. Maybe it’s a camping trip. Or the wearer is switching to more formal attire for work and leaves the Crocs in his or her vehicle. Likewise if it’s raining and the owner switches to sneakers. Either way, the shoes might get more heat than it can bear.
Some people think they can wash it in the dishwasher. Some dishwashers might have a temperature higher than what the Crocs can be exposed to.
However, probably the most common is simply that they’re left out in the sun. Some might get their Crocs wet and leave them out to dry on the porch. Or the Crocs are their “outside shoes” and are a bit dirty. If it’s hot and sunny, they’ll return in a day or two and find shrunken footwear.
The amount Crocs can shrink can be massive. Some wearers report as much as two sizes. That’s definitely unwearable and could cause injury if worn. Don’t wear your Crocs if they’re this shrunken as you’re bound to get blisters at the very least.
Fortunately there is a fix to all this.
Why you should fix your Crocs
We live in a “throwaway” society where people just toss their broken items in the garbage. But Crocs aren’t cheap. Many people also have invested a decent amount in Jibbitz decorating their shoes. Repairing your shoes will also be good for the environment and save you from a trip to the store. So consider fixing your shrunken Crocs.
How can I fix shrunken or warped Crocs?
This is actually quite easy to do. It will take far less than hour. There is no special equipment or materials needed and there are multiple methods you can use.
Boiling Water Method
Wash them in hot water. This will loosen up the material. You can do this in a large pot of boiling water. If you have big pair of shoes or no large pots you might want to use the next method.
Submerge them for around a minute. Take them out with prongs or something similar
As soon as the heat is bearable, wear them. This will remold the Crocs to your feet shape.
If you really want to stretch them out significantly, wear 3-4 pairs of thick socks. Wear more if you want it larger and less if you want less of a stretch.
However, be careful with this method. Hot water can be painful and take care not to injure yourself.
The Clothes Dryer Method
Alternatively, you can put it in the clothes dryer for a few minutes.
- Set the heat settings of dryer to lowest temperature and timing to 10-15 minutes.
- Dip 2 towels in water and squeeze them to take out as much water as possible
- Wrap your Crocs in the towels. You can use a rubber band or string to attach the towels.
- Put Crocs in dryer. Start heating process
- Take them out.
Hair Dryer Method
This method is good if you want more control over the process. You can apply the heat to where it is needed.
- Take two towels and wet them. Squeeze out all the extra water.
- Wrap the towels on the Crocs. There is no need to use a rubber band or string.
- Set the hair dryer to medium.
- Switch the hair dryer on and apply the heat to required parts of crocs.
- Check every so often until you reach the desired result.
Avoid microwaving your Crocs. The Croc company has officially recommended not to microwave your Crocs. Sorry, it’s not going to be that convenient and easy.
Not One Size Fits All
Everyone’s experience is going to be different. Different pairs of Crocs are made of different material. Crocs differ with age. Some people report no issues with shrinkage.
Crocs are great shoes to wear. Unfortunately, they can shrink when exposed to heat. You can fix this issue quite easily.
