Crocs have had something of a sartorial renaissance in recent times: from humble beginnings as a boat shoe to becoming an oft-duped wardrobe staple worn by influencers and Love Island stars alike, the rubber soles have now made it to the red carpet.
During her appearance at the Tony Awards on Sunday night (local time), Suddenly Susan actor Brooke Shields made headlines for her unusual choice of footwear: you guessed it, Crocs.
The 59-year-old, who introduced Nicole Scherzinger's emotional rendition of 'What I Did for Love' for the In Memoriam tribute, rocked the navy carpet in a yellow Monique Lhuillier gown with matching yellow Crocs - and made a point of showing them off.
Shields, who has several Broadway credits to her name, picked the shoes not just for style, but for comfort post-surgery. Speaking to Extra at the event, she revealed she had "so many stitches" in her feet following a procedure just three days prior.
"So, I'm feeling great," she told the outlet. "I got a flask in my purse, got some pain meds in there, [and] I'm going to be good."
Shields even shared a snap of her post-op feet to social media on Friday, captioning it: "The feet pics are about to level up... double foot toe surgery."
She told CBS News that her "broken feet" were largely due to performing on Broadway, adding: "[I] luckily found Crocs that would go. I couldn't postpone my surgery. You know, Broadway gave me these broken feet, and now I'm fixing them."
Shields made her Broadway debut in 1994 as a replacement Betty Rizzo in Grease. She next appeared as a replacement Roxie Hart in Chicago in 1996, and also starred as Sally Bowles in the long-running Broadway revival of Cabaret in 2001.
Shields' most recent Broadway credits include her performance as Ruth Sherwood in Wonderful Town in the early 2000s, and a stint as Morticia Addams in The Addams Family in 2011.
In May, Shields was elected president of the live theatre labour union, Actors' Equity. Speaking to Extra at the Tonys, she noted that theatre will always "have a special place in [her] heart".
"The Broadway community and theatre has welcomed me when others were less welcoming," she added.
Stereophonic won the most awards of the night on Sunday, taking out the award for Best Play. The Outsiders won Best Musical, while Appropriate - starring Sarah Paulson - won Best Revival of a Play. Best Revival of a Musical was awarded to Merrily We Roll Along starring Daniel Radcliffe, who also took home Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical.
