Girlfriend called ‘controlling’ after asking boyfriend not to wear Crocs on dates
A woman may have been asking for too much when she asked her boyfriend not to wear Crocs when they go on dates.
In a recent Reddit post shared to the popular “Am I The A**hole?” subreddit, an unnamed 22-year-old explained that she and her 23-year-old boyfriend live two hours away from each other and can only spend time together on the weekends. However, while they are going to “nicer restaurants” her boyfriend continues to wear Crocs.
Crocs, of course, are foam clogs that have sold in the hundreds of millions since launching in 2002.
“When we went apple picking, I asked him not to wear crocs because it’s muddy, slippery, etc. It started a mini argument but eventually, he switched to boots. When we went out to dinner that night, he wore the Crocs again,” she wrote in her Reddit post.
“More than just the functionality part, they just aren’t really what you wear when going to bars or eating at nice restaurants,” she added.
Her boyfriend then admitted he “dresses nicer” for school and rarely wears Crocs to his phD classes.
“He feels like I am controlling him by asking him not to wear Crocs, and I guess I am, but I feel like I’m going crazy trying to explain to him why Crocs aren’t a shoe for every single occasion,” the Reddit post continued. “ I’m not trying to throw out his Crocs or anything, but I just really like it when he dresses a little nicer and doesn’t wear sweatpants and Crocs out.”
After posting, many people took to the comments section to defend her, explaining that it was not “controlling” behavior to request her boyfriend dress appropriately and, given his insistence on wearing Crocs, the commenters questioned if the situation expanded beyond shoes.
“So, what’s coming to mind for me is not so much that you hate the Crocs but the fact he is unable to pick a situationally appropriate shoe and it makes doing things harder,” one comment began. “You both presumably knew it was going to be muddy and slippery and he still chose the Crocs and got annoyed with you for pointing that out.
“I don’t know your exact situation, but for me, the big determining factor here would be: is he purposely, routinely choosing this shoe knowing you won’t be able to complete the day’s activities?”
“He’s being intentionally difficult,” another commenter agreed. “That or he’s simply dumb for not understanding something that even the most loyal wearers of Crocs understand… that they’re ugly and not suitable for when you want to look nice, which is something he should care about doing for you, especially when you’re doing it for him.”
However, other commenters took her boyfriend’s side explaining that there may be many reasons why he wears Crocs and as long as the two of them aren’t being turned away from places specifically because of his footwear, it shouldn’t matter.
“There may be another reason he wears Crocs like his feet hurt, but he is not ready to share. This is the kind of thing that can escalate into a fight that can end the relationship. Is this the hill you want to die on?” one commenter questioned.
“I hate Crocs personally but some like apples and some like oranges, it’s a matter of personal preference really. As long as the venues are NOT turning him away for flouting their dress code, your bf is doing nothing obviously wrong,” another commenter agreed.