I don’t think it was until the Covid-19 pandemic that I first gave RuPaul’s Drag Race a watch through (of course I had to start with season five, because Jinkx Monsoon is a literal legend). I remember hearing about how much drama there was, I’ve known a couple of the winners through the avenues of Twitter or Instagram, and I always thought that drag as a cultural phenomenon in the LGBTQ+ community was insanely unique in the way that it distorts the socially constructed concept of gender and makes fun of the social expectations of both men and women in their outward representations.

After I caught myself up with the American seasons of the franchise, I explored the ways that I feel and express myself outwardly, and while I don’t know makeup or walking in heels, that’s where the Crocs slogan, “Come as You Are,” emerged as my segway into my own form of drag that I continue to own to this day. I own over ten pairs of Crocs since I work at a shoe store, and I tailor every single pair to a color or style or concept. Just look at the image below:

Ranging from gummy bears on my white Crocs as a low-key form of gay Pride, fake cherry blossoms on my magenta Crocs, and green buttons scattered around on my lime Crocs, the way that I choose to decorate my Crocs with the best invention in the world, Jibbitz (that I only order custom ones of since they are cheaper) gives me the option and mobility of being me and allowing my creative side to flourish.

And I think that’s where I connect with phenomenology; when I wear Crocs with the pieces that I got to choose or make and I know no one else probably has, I feel independent. I feel happy. I feel energized and enriched. I see others look at my Crocs. I see others judge my Crocs. But I do not care. 

The feelings I feel and the experience of how I came to try on my first pair to owning over ten pairs is different than any other person’s experience with Crocs. Most people compliment them, and it only makes me happier because I put a lot of work and care into how they are presented with tailored outfits or shirts to match. It became my sense of style and how I express my ideas to the world around me, allowing others to see me in the context of fun or creative.

Drag is hard: wig glue, wigs, heels, corsets, dancing, singing, comedy, splits, dips, makeup, names, eyelashes, dresses, earrings, jewelry, custom outfits, and energy; but with me, my drag is in the Crocs of it all, and I hope everyone around me sees that.