May 11 (UPI) — Several members of a Utah family posted impressive finishes at a marathon in Indiana despite wearing plastic clogs instead of traditional running shoes.
Benjamin Pachev, 18, was photographed wearing a pear of khaki-colored Crocs as he placed 16th in the 500 Festival Mini-Marathon in Indianapolis with a time of 1:11:53.
“People look over at me and say what the heck are you thinking?” Pachev told Fox59 of his unusual choice of footwear.
His father, Alexander Pachev, said he and his other 10 children wear the shoes as a cheap and effective alternative to expensive running shoes.
“It’s like having a little fan that’s just streaming air over your foot,” Pachev, 44, said of the Crocs. “And we find the cheapest colors. If they’re hot pink and that’s the cheapest color we buy it.”
The father told The Indianapolis Star he stumbled upon the unique substitute footwear one day when his kids refused to take off the Crocs before a run, despite urging them to “put on real shoes.”
“I said, ‘OK, let’s see how it goes,'” Pachev said. “And they ran, at fast speeds, and I could tell their form was better in Crocs. It looks more natural. I said maybe there’s something to it.”
Pachev said he and his children have worn the shoes to run ever since, including when he placed 44th in the 500 Festival Mini-Marathon and his 16-year-old daughter placed ninth overall in the 500 Festival 5K.
“They basically feel like you’re running barefoot on grass, except you’re doing it on asphalt and you’re not losing the speed,” Pachev said. “It’s a very good feeling.”
He said the Crocs are more durable than most running shoes and also don’t cause blisters.
“I’ve never gotten a blister when I’ve run in Crocs,” he said. “I’ve had plenty of marathons where I’ve gotten blisters.”
Pachev said he contacted the company about a possible sponsorship and possible changes to make the shoes more suitable for running, but said representatives weren’t interested in any athletic affiliation.
“I tried to establish it multiple times without success,” he said. “They told me they were not interested in promoting the Crocs as an athletic shoe. Sponsorship or not, that’s the best shoe on the market for our purposes.”
