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Why I’m So Picky About My Dad’s Gifts
There is one man I dare not ever mess with. If I get him a gift, it has to be functional, no-nonsense, incredibly tough, and it has to keep him safe. That man is my father, King Snail. My dad is a commercial fisherman – he’s been fishing since he was about three years old, and his birthday is coming up. So the question is, would I get him Crocs boots? And the answer is we’re going to break it down to a scientific level and compare it to his favorite boots.
But the reason I would not get these boots for my dad is because of something called Croc lock (after editing this article and trying to walk on wet rocks and everything like that, I actually do change my mind, and I’m gonna get him these boots, so I’ll fill you in.)
What’s popping, everyone? It’s Michael, and today we’re going to be looking at Huckberry x Crocs collaboration western boots, a little wacky boot that we’ll get into in a second. There was one major, major thing that you have to know if you’re going to try and use these boots for whatever you do professionally, and it’s the big discussion about whether I would get these for my dad or not.
But really, honestly, these boots are surprisingly capable – so capable, in fact, that we’re going to compare them to my dad’s favorite boots of all time, the Xtratufs that we’ll just do the brand in general. Let’s get into this Crocs boot review.
Getting Real About These “Not a Joke” Boots
And I have been told, ‘Michael, these boots are not a joke,’ so I am not going to joke about these boots at all when I describe them. The uppers of these boots, while at first glance may appear to be leather – they’re not actually leather. It’s just a paint on top of it that gives it a leather appearance. This is actually a faux leather called plastic. This boot does have Western stitching all throughout, though, which, upon further inspection, is also plastic. And, of course, what serious work is the boot complete without gibbets?
What are gibbets? I’m glad you asked! Gibbets are the latest craze and hot new accessories that will impress all of your friends. Just simply plop them into the side of your Crocs, and all of a sudden, you go from just regular boring work boots to having a whistle, a one-ounce container of whatever liquid you may want, a pocket knife holder, a carabiner.
My dad loves nothing more than blowing a whistle as loud as he can and then taking a one-ounce drink of water.
Battle of the Boots: Crocs vs. Xtratuf Deck Boots
So, to see if these boots actually can stand up to the test of a real work boot, we are comparing them to my dad’s favorite – he swears by these. They are the Xtratuf six-inch deck boots. He probably has the Wheelhouses, which we’ll get into in a second.
When we look at the two of these, the first thing we need to talk about is fit. The Xtratufs are dramatically slimmer than the Croc boots. If you have very, very wide feet, you’d probably like the Croc boots better. Of course, like I said, Xtratuf does have the Wheelhouses, which are a little wider.
The Xtratufs seal around your ankle better (or wherever the boot ends). It’s much tighter because of neoprene, which is a very important material in these boots that we’ll talk about later. It makes these boots almost twice as effective in certain scenarios, and they seal against your leg a little bit better. Crocs are very wide open at the top.
The Xtratuf feels like you’re walking around with a sneaker that you just tied up tight, and you’re walking around with it. It’s a nice feeling; it’s a familiar feeling. The Crocs feel like you’re walking on a foamy mat, but your feet have a lot of room. It doesn’t feel as tight and secure, so I would say the Xtratuf probably does have more support after walking on rocks and stuff like that just because it hugs your foot much, much better.
Comfort is a very interesting discussion between these two boots because I’ve never had Crocs before. I’ve never really walked around in them a lot except today with these boots through the woods that are very rocky and through water and everything – they are obscenely comfortable. They destroy the Xtratufs in pure as-I’m-walking comfort.
It feels good, but on a support end, if you’re bending these shoes back and forth or you’re bending them up and down to see where the support is, they are much more evenly matched. So, from what I researched, it just depends on your foot type. The Xtratufs come in at just over a pound – 1.02 pounds. The Crocs are 10.6 ounces without gibbets, so that weight will go up when you add all your favorite accessories.
When we’re talking about work boots, obviously, the most important thing is breathability. So neither of these is that breathable, as you probably assumed, considering that they are waterproof, but the Xtratuf does have something in its favor. Croc is unlined – it’s just EVA everything.
There is a really wide opening, so I guess that will help airflow a little bit, but these Xtratufs obviously have the outer layer of a heavier rubber that we’ll talk about, and then they have a neoprene lining. That neoprene will help wick away moisture, so keep your feet dry on the inside if they are sweating. And a fun fact that will be very important in a second – neoprene is an excellent insulator. So if it’s hot outside, these boots will help to keep your feet a little cooler, and if it’s cold outside, a little warmer.
Quick Comparison: Crocs vs. Xtratuf Deck Boots
| Feature | Crocs Work Boots | Xtratufs |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Wide and spacious, open at the top | Slimmer fit, seals tightly with neoprene |
| Comfort | Obscenely comfortable, feels like walking on foam | Familiar and secure, like a tightly tied sneaker |
| Weight | 10.6 ounces (without gibbets) | 1.02 pounds |
| Material | Unlined EVA, faux leather finish | Outer rubber with neoprene lining |
| Breathability | Limited, wide opening allows airflow | Better moisture wicking due to neoprene |
| Durability | Tends to wear away over time | Historically prone to splitting, improved after production changes |
| Slip Resistance | Not SRC-rated, lacks Croc lock soles | SRC-rated for high slip resistance |
| Use Case | Casual outdoor tasks, light work scenarios | Commercial fishing, slippery and harsh environments |
| Aesthetic | Trendy and unconventional | Traditional work boot look |
The Durability Drama
Durability is actually a really weird discussion because these two boots actually suffered a similar fate. I guess the original OG Crocs, before they almost went bankrupt and then came back, were way, way tougher. They lasted way, way longer. Newer Crocs break down a little bit, but from what I can tell, they wear away more than what Xtratufs do, which is they split, or they did split a lot.
They had a reputation of being absolutely bulletproof – you could not destroy them, and then I think Honeywell bought them, moved all production to China, and the boots were getting destroyed very, very quickly, and it was kind of tanking the reputation of Xtratuf.
Everybody was complaining – their website still has a ton of complaints on it today, but apparently, Honeywell ended up doing a training session for the manufacturer in China. They fixed it, and they are actually tougher now than they were when they were made in America. I have no proof of that, but that’s what I heard.
The Science Behind These Boots
But the interesting thing is neoprene – these Croc boots do not have redundancy. If there is a hole somewhere on the boot, on the top, on the bottom, wherever, water will come rushing in. There is no backup. On the Xtratufs, there is a backup that may not be the most effective thing – you probably can’t keep wearing your boots for a very long time if there’s a hole in them, but there is neoprene.
Croc boots have a lot more in common with the lining of these Xtratuf boots versus the outside of these boots because both Croc boots and neoprene, well, it’s a little different how they’re actually made, but they’re both essentially types of plastic or types of petroleum-based products that when they are made have a lot of air bubbles all throughout.
Crocs are injection molded, so you’re essentially like blowing this material into a mold, and then you pull Crocs out, but neoprene is much more similar in its production to something like faux leather, where there was a backing, a polyester backing, for example, and then you spray on plastic on top that looks like leather.
That’s not neoprene, but the process of making neoprene is very similar. It is what people wear when they are wearing wetsuits. It is what people wear on those boots that look more like fabric than rubber – that’s neoprene. So, if these boots do end up cracking or ripping or something of the sort, there is still a backup to keep water away from your feet.
How effective that backup is, it’s kind of up to debate. A lot of people say it’s not effective at all – if these boots are cracked, water’s coming in no matter what, and these boots should not be cracking at this price anyway.
That being said, if Crocs are left out in the sun for a very long amount of time, they will shrink like two sizes and be unwearable. I don’t know if you’re wearing them and if it’s getting splashed with water, if that would help, but that is something that happens.
The Big Decision: Would I Actually Get These For My Dad?
Okay, so with all that being said, would I buy these Crocs vs. Xtratuf deck boots? The answer is no… Actually, you know what? I completely changed my mind. I think I’m gonna get him these boots. The reason is probably not as dramatic as you think because everything I outlined is actually a reason I would get him the Crocs.
I read all the reviews of Croc boots, I looked on Reddit, and I looked at farmer forums and beekeeping forums. A lot of people really love Croc boots. A farmer even said that he carries his work boots around with him all day just in case he ever needs them, but he ends up wearing these Crocs all the time.
There are a million different working scenarios where these boots are incredibly effective, and all you would ever need, but the reason I would not get these boots for my dad is because of something called Croc lock.
Croc lock is the only thing that these boots needed in order to be absolutely perfect for my dad – maybe not when he’s lobstering, but if he’s chartering, doing something more leisurely on the boat, to just grabbing something quickly from the shed, Croc lock would make these boots perfect, but they don’t have them. They just have the regular soles that Crocs do, which are not SRC-rated, which is Crocs’ slip resistance.
My dad spends 99% of his time on very slick surfaces covered with fish guts, covered with water, covered with ice, so the slip risk is very, very high, and these are not rated for any slip resistance at all when Xtratuf boots are rated for the highest amount of slip resistance.
That is literally the only thing – I would just feel like the worst son ever if I got my dad boots for the boat and he fell. The worst part is that Croc soles that have Croc lock are apparently abnormally good at slip resistance as if they destroy all of the tests. It’s very hard to slip in Croc lock Crocs. But all in all, fantastic boots.
Watch This Review
Final Thoughts and Who These Boots Are Actually For
To simplify and summarize this Crocs boot review, I actually am going to get my dad these boots. He’ll have to see if he actually likes them or not – time will tell. But after walking on very slippery rocks and stuff, I noticed I didn’t slip as much with the Crocs as I did with the Xtratufs.
It could just be bias, and it could be this and that. I trust the testing the Xtratuf does much more than I trust my own judgment, so I’m still going to tell my dad about it, and we’ll see what he thinks and all that stuff, but I was pleasantly surprised with the slip resistance-ness of the Crocs. It felt like I had a very, very strong grip, even though I do wish that they had Croc lock on there.
At the end of the day, though, there are pros and cons to each of these. Granted, there are more cons with the Crocs, but the Xtratufs also has its cons as well. Long story short, I would highly recommend Croc boots for 99% of people – they’re actually amazing. I obviously like older style boots, but if I’m just going outside to grab the morning paper or something like that and it’s raining, or I’m going to walk a dog that I don’t have through some woods or something like that, these Croc boots are killer.
They’re fantastic, and they look weird, but not that weird. Now, Crocs are kind of trendy, so I don’t even think people care anymore. But either way, that’s for my Crocs boot review. Thanks for reading! I’ll see you very, very soon. Bye!
This article was adapted from Michael Kristy’s video on The Iron Snail, with edits from FashionBeans, and was reviewed by Michael to ensure the integrity of his original content. Watch the full video here.
The Iron Snail is a men’s fashion vlog (and now article series!) starring a young man named Michael and featuring a snail no bigger than a quarter. The two are set on taking over the world of fashion by creating a clothing line to end all clothing lines. Until then, we’re here to tell you EVERYTHING you need to know about the best clothing out there, from the highest quality raw denim jeans to the warmest jackets to the sturdiest boots…the Iron Snail has got you covered.
