Hands-On: Casio G-Shock Watch X Crocs Echo Wave Clogs
Years ago, I began recommending that the watch industry bundle wristwatches with matching fashion accessories, such as hats, belts, and shoes. The idea was mostly to suggest to consumers how to wear some of the more fashionably experimental timepiece designs. If there is an otherwise odd-looking timepiece, but it has some matching fashion accessories, the idea was that people were more likely to understand how to pair such a timepiece with a wardrobe. While there have been some fashion + watch product launches, they are still decidedly rare. For that reason, I was delighted to learn that Casio G-Shock was about to launch a collaboration with Crocs. I had no idea what the resulting products would be (maybe a Casio ring watch as a shoe charm?), and this Casio G-Shock x Crocs Echo Wave set is it. At Crocs, the set has the SKU reference number of 21110, and at Casio, the watch’s reference number is GA2100CROCS2.
I am not nearly as educated in the world of Crocs as I am in the world of Casio. The highly successful company has been selling mostly clog-style shoes produced with rubbery foam materials that a lot of people find very comfortable. Crocs continues to sell sandals, clogs, and other casual footwear of all types. These particular Crocs clogs are apparently a new design that was launched with this Casio collaboration. The shoes are known as the Crocs Echo Waves, and they build on the classic Crocs clogs concept. The Echo Wave shoes have a swoopy, futuristic design, and now have an adjustable heel/ankle strap in fabric (for a better fit). These particular Crocs Echo Wave shoes also glow in the dark. That’s right, the foam shoe material is also luminescent. This is mostly for fun, although I am sure that Crocs will explain several useful reasons why you want shoes that glow in the dark.
On the outside part of the Echo Wave clogs is a watch-case-shaped holder that you can put the GA2100 model family timepiece into. You need to first remove the strap – which is pretty easy on the included GA2100CROCS2 watch thanks to the quick(er)-release spring bars. You still need to use a tool to remove them because the small metal lever is hard to access with your finger, but Casio includes such a tool as well as instructions for how to remove the straps and insert the watch case into the holder on the shoes. Of course, it is also true that a number of compatible watches made by Casio would fit the shoes. This includes mainly the GA2100 family, but also possibly some similar models with the same case shape whose straps can be removed. Though only the GA2100CROCS2 G-Shock GA2100 model will have a matching color and “marble print” pattern that complements the style of the shoes. Unfortunately, the Casio G-Shock watch case material does not also glow in the dark (though there is luminant on the dial, both on the hands and the face itself, which glows in the dark).
Aside from the special dial and printed strap colors, the base G-Shock watch is the same GA2100 that has been very popular for Casio. One interesting difference (aside from the removable strap and glowing face) is the large “Crocs” logo used on the dial of the watch. This is relatively rare for Casio to do, but it is not unprecedented. The bezel still says “G-Shock” on it, just for anyone who might be confused as to who produced the timepiece. The pink and blue/green marbled colors are interesting, but they come across as being a bit on the feminine side for me. There is just one size for the watch, but Crocs sells this bundle in a variety of men’s and women’s shoe sizes.
You might need to be a hardcore Crocs enthusiast to best understand the playfulness of putting a G-Shock wristwatch on your shoes, as well as the appeal of glow-in-the-dark clogs. With that said, anyone who goes out in public with eye-catching shoes that have a matching watch (or rather, an eye-catching watch with matching shoes) is going to get attention. Isn’t that what this creative design collaboration is all about? I think it is great that Crocs chose a Casio G-Shock watch for product pairing to help promote their new line of cool-looking Echo Wave shoes. The price is also pretty reasonable overall. I can’t imagine that this set will be sold for long, and there will be plenty of people who simply want to put these shoes (with the watch in them) on a bookshelf as a fun, collectible design object. I, for one, am properly amused by this fun and admittedly weird product integration that keeps our interest in watches (and shoes, for that matter) interesting. Price for the Casio G-Shock x Crocs Echo Wave watch and shoes set is $200 USD. Visit the Casio website. Learn more at the Crocs website.
