Last weekend, Justin Bieber put up a seemingly innocent post on Instagram that piqued the interest of his 148 million followers – a pair of Crocs floating in a swimming pool. The caption was a vague “soon”, and the brand further fuelled suspicion by posting a green heart comment in response. The days following the post also saw the company’s stock jump more than 11 per cent. It's likely, then, that there’s going to be a Justin Bieber and Crocs collaboration coming out soon
Bieber is the latest in a long line of celebrities to endorse the famous footwear brand that sparks extreme reactions. Musicians Post Malone and Bad Bunny, actresses Zooey Deschanel and Natalie Dormer and model Suzu Hirose have collaborated with the company in the past.
As polarising as the shoe is, 2020 seems to be the year of Crocs, which are often touted as the footwear of choice for frontline workers. The comfort factor also makes these the go-to, as more people embrace working from home.
As a style, the Croc is effectively a clog.
The clog features an open back and a covered upper, with a slightly upturned and rounded toe. Although the origins are unknown, it is thought that clogs were traditionally made completely out of wood. Samples found in the Netherlands date back to the 1230s.
The Dutch have been wearing wooden shoes called Klompen since medieval times, and the first guild of clog makers dates back to Holland circa 1570. The protective nature of the wooden footwear made it a popular choice with farmers and miners, and after the shoes were worn down, they were used as firewood.
At the time, the shoes were made by craftsmen called bodgers who carved pairs out of woods such as alder, willow and beech. To this day the wooden shoes are seen as part of Dutch culture and are purchased as souvenirs.
In England, a clog featured wooden soles while the upper was typically made of leather. The style was especially common during the Industrial Revolution when workers required footwear that was strong, but also cheap. It was after the Second World War that clogs began to appear in another avatar – as a fashion statement.
By the 1970s and 1980s, Swedish clogs, known as traskor, became a fashion accessory. Newer iterations of the shoe featured a leather upper and an exaggerated heel – this look was sought by those wanting to make a boho-chic style statement.
Crocs Inc launched in 2001 to unveil its foam footwear, initially developed as a boating shoe. The original "ugly shoe", Crocs were widely seen as a fashion faux pas (Project Runway's Tim Gunn famously said that he couldn't imagine "a more aesthetically offensive item of footwear").
But things have changed in the past few years, and clogs eventually thumped their way on to the catwalk. Dutch designers Viktor & Rolf had their models wearing high-heeled wooden clogs in the 2007 autumn / winter collection. In 2009, chunky high-heeled clogs were pegged as the next stiletto thanks to iterations from Chanel.
In 2017, British designer Christopher Kane sent models down the runway in marbled, gem-encrusted Crocs, while Balenciaga took foam clogs to new heights in 2018, when its models put on platform Crocs on the Paris Fashion Week runway. In the same year, Dior made a case for the clog with the launch of Diorquake, a rounded shoe with a wooden sole and metallic embellishment.
Whether you love them or hate them, 2020 – and now Justin Bieber – are keeping the brand and the style one step ahead of the game.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Jack Butland, Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope
Defenders: John Stones, Harry Maguire, Phil Jones, Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Gary Cahill, Ashley Young, Danny Rose, Trent Alexander-Arnold
Midfielders: Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson, Dele Alli, Jesse Lingard, Raheem Sterling, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Fabian Delph
Forwards: Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Marcus Rashford, Danny Welbeck
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz E 300 Cabriolet
Price, base / as tested: Dh275,250 / Dh328,465
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder
Power: 245hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm @ 1,300rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
A little about CVRL
Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.
One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.
The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.
'Nightmare Alley'
Director:Guillermo del Toro
Stars:Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara
Rating: 3/5
The specs: 2018 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy
Price, base / as tested Dh97,600
Engine 1,745cc Milwaukee-Eight v-twin engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 78hp @ 5,250rpm
Torque 145Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.0L / 100km (estimate)
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
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MATCH INFO
Wales 1 (Bale 45 3')
Croatia 1 (Vlasic 09')
Juliet, Naked
Dir: Jesse Peretz
Starring: Chris O'Dowd, Rose Byrne, Ethan Hawke
Two stars
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The bio
Job: Coder, website designer and chief executive, Trinet solutions
School: Year 8 pupil at Elite English School in Abu Hail, Deira
Role Models: Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk
Dream City: San Francisco
Hometown: Dubai
City of birth: Thiruvilla, Kerala
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
