Two news anchors accidentally sparked a heated debate when they discussed the merits of wearing compression socks on flights.
ABC Eyewitness News' traffic reporter Heather O'Rourke and weather anchor Sam Champion took to his Instagram for an informal chat behind the scenes of the New York City news show.
O'Rourke asked Champion about his weekend in Florida which he spent with his Brazilian husband, Rubem Robierb. His artist spouse is based in Miami and Champion gushed about how they "carved out a lot of time to hang out together."
The traffic reporter then quizzed her colleague about whether he wears "compression socks on the plane," after watching a health segment on Good Morning America where physician Dr. Jen Ashton spoke about how all airplane passengers should make it a habit to wear them to help prevent blood clots and swelling.
While Champion admitted he does not wear the socks which aid in blood flow, he said: "I have noticed before my legs tend to get a little swollen, especially on longer flights."
But he also admitted that he hoped they designed fashionable compression socks, because "I don't want to wear it unless it's sexy."
The colleagues then joked about wearing the socks with sandals or slides, but Champion was not sure he could embrace that trend.
"Although, kids like the crocs with socks now but I still can't get over the '70s ban on that," he said.
The discussion about socks and sandals sparked a debate in the comments section, with one fan saying: "I am one of the few who will NEVER EVER wear crocs."
Another added: "Ugh can't do regular crocs so ugly. I do actually have a pair of sandals with a wedge heel made by crocs that are incredibly comfy and look nice."
And a third wrote: "I always start my morning with you, I just love you and Heather!"
Crocs is a 20-year-old brand known for its practical sandal style shoe made from a proprietary resin material known as Croslite. They are often worn for comfort, in boating or by chefs working in commercial kitchens.
"Crocs Clogs are great for doing errands, lounging around the house, and protecting your feet at the pool or lake alone," the brand writes on its website.
Often labeled as an ugly shoe, they have found a recent surge in popularity including with people wearing them with socks.
Spanish fashion label Balenciaga has collaborated twice with Crocs, including creating a $1,000 Croc stiletto as part of its 2022 range.
Its first collaboration in 2017 saw the two labels work together to create yellow and pink platform shoes that sold for $850.
Other major fashion collaborations Crocs has done include with Liberty London, Christopher Kane, Takashi Murakami, and musicians Bad Bunny and Post Malone.
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