While the ubiquitous "blue and white" sandals may remain this country's most iconic footwear, another kind of plastic shoes have been surging in popularity over the past year.
Plastic clogs made of expanded ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam were first popularized by the US company Crocs. Here, however, such shoes are more commonly referred to as "Bush shoes," (布希鞋) a reference to photographs taken last June of a Crocs-clad US president George W. Bush that were widely circulated in the international media.
Incidentally, that was around the time EVA foam clogs hit it big in Taiwan, said Wei Pai-ching (
New Buffalo started manufacturing EVA foam clogs in 2006 after observing the popularity of Crocs and Croc-imitations abroad, Wei said.
Crocs Taiwan now list 52 stores and other outlets selling the popular shoes across the nation on its Web site.
While Crocs retail in excess of NT$1,000 for most adult styles, "Bush shoes" made by New Buffalo are sold at superstores such as Carrefour for roughly half the price.
Even cheaper unbranded shoes can be bought for under NT$200 per pair at many night markets around the country.
Wei estimates that 200,000 pairs of unbranded "Bush shoes" were imported into the country during last year.
"We foresee this trend continuing for at least another year," Wei said.
After wearing them to the office, blogger "a131133718" wrote on Oct. 10 last year that a co-worker shouted in a crazed manner "they are so cute!"
"Soon I was surrounded by five or six co-workers discussing my shoes. I was asked to buy four pairs for them. This is how `Bush shoes' became fashionable at my company," the blogger wrote.
"Then, I started running in them," continued the post, "Wow, they are more comfortable than athletic shoes!"
"They are very comfortable and appropriate for casual use," said Chien Wen-jen (簡文仁), director of the National Federation of Associations of Physical Therapists, "However, I absolutely do not recommend those shoes for running or any kind of exercise, even if it is just prolonged walking."
Although some models of EVA foam clogs manufactured by Crocs have earned the American Podiatric Medical Association's (APMA) seal of approval and are sold by some US podiatrists out of their offices, Chien said, they are not the perfect footwear some fans make them out to be.
"They do not fit to the foot or provide adequate support," Chien said.
"As a result, it's harder to maintain stability. This makes the foot more tired in the long run, and can even result in a twisted ankle if the wearer is not paying attention," Chien said.
Chien advises wearing "Bush shoes" with the back straps in place in order to provide maximum stability.
Many people choose to flip the adjustable strap out of the way for additional convenience when wearing the shoe, Chien said. However this compromises the stability of the shoe.
Chen Chih-yong (
"Their ability to grip the ground is only mediocre, making slips and falls more likely where the ground is wet," said Chen.
In September last year, the Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation issued a warning asking those wearing EVA foam shoes to watch their feet on escalators.
The warning came after more than a dozen reported cases of such shoes getting caught in the escalator mechanism in Japan between the months of June and August this year. Children tend to be the most seriously injured in such accidents.
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