IT CAME IN THE MAIL

Crocs' Prima shoes

An occasional look at products the travel industry insists we need.

WHAT: Crocs' Prima shoes.

HOW MUCH: $24.99.

BEST FOR: Travelers who want comfy, stench-free footwear without looking like garden gnomes.

BUT DO THEY WORK? Unless you're going on a garden tour of England that includes planting and weeding, Crocs' ubiquitous plastic clogs are hardly appropriate for travel. Sure, the shoes are darling on children, but on adults, they're more clownish than cute. The company, however, introduced a fashionable ballet-style design for women that has all the merits of the original model -- light as Styrofoam, odor-free, slip-resistant, snug as a sock -- but without the clunk. The resin shoes come in a rainbow of colors (grape, cotton candy, silver, etc.) and can easily go from, say, a day tour of Versailles to a nightclub crawl of Paris. They dry quickly, add negligible weight when packed and won't spread noxious foot fumes throughout your luggage. Moreover, if you find yourself trekking around flowers and mulch, you'll have the best-dressed feet in the garden.

-- Andrea Sachs

For more information: 866-306-3179, http://www.crocs.com/home.jsp.