Lightning McQueen is back in blue
Character shoes do not get much more obvious than a Croc shaped like Lightning McQueen, and Crocs has leaned fully into that idea for its latest Disney and Pixar Cars release.
The new Lightning McQueen Dinoco Crocband Clog swaps McQueen’s familiar racing red for the bright blue Dinoco look associated with the Piston Cup sponsor. The clog includes embossed wheels and windscreen details, Dinoco’s dinosaur logo and a chunky spoiler built into the backstrap.
Made for children who actually want character shoes
There is a tendency for some collaborations to make the character reference so subtle that only adult collectors notice it. This is the opposite. From a distance, these look like Lightning McQueen shoes.
That makes them particularly relevant for younger Cars fans who want the character to be the whole point of the shoe rather than a tiny logo hidden somewhere on the heel.
They still work like normal Crocs
Underneath the Cars styling, the practical features are familiar Crocs territory. They are lightweight, water-friendly, quick to dry and have ventilation holes. Crocs also says the kids’ version can hold up to 22 Jibbitz charms, so children can customise them even further.
For parents, the biggest question is likely to be price. Character collaborations normally sit above the cost of a basic pair of children’s clogs, so these are much more of a statement purchase than an everyday bargain shoe.
Why kids will care
Cars has lasted far beyond the original film generation, and Lightning McQueen remains instantly recognisable to younger children. The Dinoco colourway also gives children who already know the classic red McQueen Crocs something genuinely different rather than simply another re-release.
If you have a child who lives in Crocs and still shouts “Ka-chow”, this is an extremely easy collaboration to understand.
