Yes, Those Are Actual Crocs On The Runway At London Fashion Week

It's almost a running joke in fashion that the most universally disliked shoes can (and do) make unexpected, sweeping comebacks. Case in point: The Ugg x Teva Frankenshoe that we didn't totally dislike. We recently saw a high-fashion pair-up with Ugg on the Preen runway, too. Yet it still was a bit jarring to see Christopher Kane's spring '17 collection paired with Crocs. Yes, those Crocs. It wasn't simply an unexpected source of footwear inspiration, mind you. Kane legitimately sent the Crocs Classic down his runway. These weren't some designer-fied attempt to reinvent a widely-panned style. It literally was that style. Plus, Kane fully committed to the ugly shoe's catwalk moment: His models' Crocs were accessorized with charms. The theme of the collection was "Make-Do and Mend," which referred to a "purposeful clash of clothing cultures in the collection, with the horticultural, the rural, and homemade, contrasted with the sleek, urban, and sophisticated," per a press release.

The surprise appearance of Crocs is mentioned in passing in the release, and characterized as "a distinct collaboration." Well, that's not inaccurate. (Oh, and in case you were wondering: Yes, they will be available for purchase, according to Footwear News.) The Crocs' actual appearance on the runway was swift, as well.

It seems showgowers were also taken aback by the unconventional footwear on display — not only by their immediate reactions on social media, but by the unfiltered, off-the-cuff expressions on their faces. Those who got a closer look at the shoes on the runway and backstage were a little more politely skeptical about the pair-up.

Not everyone was totally against the kicks, though.

So, the jury is out on whether or not this'll actually become a thing. Was this inspired? Questionable? Some sort of elaborate prank? Of course, there are already think pieces on the topic (and likely even more, as people process their feelings about these luxury Crocs). Kane probably (okay, definitely) just threw a lot of fashion folk into an existential style frenzy. If anything, this is probably a good opportunity to re-evaluate how we feel about all these mid-aughts trends making comebacks. Just a thought.