'Shocking pink' Crocs? How could you, Richard Rogers?

Richard Rogers' hot pink crocs

Any architect worth their knicker elastic will tell you that a strong foundation is fundamental. Why then does the internationally renowned Richard Rogers, the razor-sharp mind behind landmarks like the Pompidou Center and London’s Lloyds Building, so woefully neglect his?

I’m not talking concrete. I’m thinking Crocs. In celebration of Rogers’ 80th birthday next week, the Beeb ran Alan Yentob’s 2007 Imagine documentary. The soaring, majestic glass skyscrapers were glorious. But as with many watchers, I barely got above the ankle.

Lord Rogers was wearing Crocs. Boldly. Proudly. They were hot-pink. A shade called “shocking”, appropriately enough. It raises one of those interesting taste debates: how could a man so focused on the precision of design in building ignore fashion to such a degree? How can he bear to shove his feet inside a moulded lump of ineffectually aerated rubber with all the aesthetic appeal of a cowpat?

Don’t just take my word for it: in 2010, Time magazine voted Crocs one of the world’s “50 Worst Inventions”. I guess they look “modern”. They’re sort of aerodynamic. In fact, they resemble Rogers’ own much-maligned Millennium Dome. Maybe he sported them for old times’ sake? Looking back, rather than fashion-forward?