How to Know If They Are Real Crocs or Fake

You may have seen Crocs gracing the feet of everyone from celebrities on the red carpet to your child's preschool teacher. Crocs are brightly coloured slip-on shoes made from a moulded foam material. They are so named because the upturned toe of the shoe, when viewed from the side, looks like a crocodile snout. Originally meant as boat shoes, they are comfortable footwear for gardeners, nurses, teachers and anyone else who stands for long hours. While their popularity has resulted in many different knock-off products, it's still easy to spot real Crocs.

Examine the shoe's lettering. Real Crocs use two styles of lettering on the heel strap. One is lower case and rounded, and the other looks Greek-inspired. Only authentic Crocs will display the brand name.

Determine where the shoes originated. Real Crocs are made in the United States, China, Canada, Italy and Mexico. If the shoe you are examining comes from somewhere else, it's fake.

Identify what material the shoes are made from. Real Crocs are made exclusively from Croslite closed-cell foam. If the "Crocs" in question are made from any other material, they're not real Crocs.

Inspect the rivets that attach the heel strap to the body of the shoe. Authentic Crocs use only three styles of rivets. You'll find plain rivets on speciality Crocs, like the RX line for health care workers. The second type of rivet has the crocodile logo painted on. The third type has a raised crocodile logo.

Give your shoes the sniff test. Authentic Crocs are made with closed-cell foam, which makes them resistant to bacteria and odours. If your shoes stink, they're not real Crocs.