Windows XP Crocs Make Nostalgia Wearable

Have $80 to spare and a love for the most iconic desktop of all time? Microsoft is offering Windows XP-themed Crocs for $79.95, transforming the iconic Bliss wallpaper and early-internet icons into wearable nostalgia. It’s a clever drop with some proper collector appeal, landing just as the company leans into what feels like something of a milestone moment for its brand.

What You Get for $80 With the Windows XP Crocs

The clogs feature Crocs’ Classic silhouette and Croslite foam — but the best part? Its colorway is inspired by XP. Like grass green meeting sky blue — all of which made Bliss, the photograph shot by Charles O’Rear, that would become the most recognizable wallpaper in computing. A corresponding drawstring bag with the Bliss image printed on it is included in the box too, which collectors will appreciate.

Think again, because on top sit six Microsoft-themed Jibbitz charms:

• Clippy
• The MSN butterfly
• The OG Internet Explorer logo
• A Windows XP file folder (very rare boardside grind)
• The Recycle Bin
• A pointer cursor

You can move the charms around with the standard perforations, and yes, Clippy’s smile is every bit as chagrined as you remember.

Sizing and Availability Details for the Windows XP Crocs

The cost, $79.95, is notable for its unusually wide size range, ranging from women’s sizes 4 to 19 and men’s sizes 2 to 17. Microsoft suggests a narrow window for fulfillment and alludes to limited stock, so anticipate the scramble that occurs with novelty collabs. If you have hunted Crocs drops in the past, this playbook will sound familiar.

Why Windows XP Nostalgia Just Won’t Go Away Today

“Windows XP was a desktop people lived and worked on for years — their life can be found inside of it,” Craig Beilinson, director of Microsoft’s Surface line, told CNN Business. Windows XP was an operating system that many people learned on, worked on and played on for years, and its Bliss clear-sky wallpaper became the visual shorthand for the modern PC. Clippy and Internet Explorer, meanwhile, are pure early-web culture — a combination of helpfulness and frustration that’s instantly recognizable. Indeed, nostalgia researchers working for companies such as YPulse and Morning Consult have discovered over and over again that throwback branding sets off engagement in people of all ages — especially when the reference taps into a shared cultural memory. XP does exactly that.

Someone’s name is behind it, too. Interbrand tends to rank Microsoft as one of the world’s most valuable brands, and this isn’t the company’s first time leaning into merch moments, from a tongue-in-cheek holiday sweater to miniature hoodies that fit Xbox controllers. This time, the XP Crocs come across as perhaps the most openly playful entry.

A Collaboration Strategy That Works for Crocs and Microsoft

Crocs has ridden collaborations to commercial success. Its annual filings show that it takes in almost $4 billion in revenue, supplemented by a steady cadence of limited drops with entertainment, food and gaming partners. Jibbitz charms — which normally go for $5 or so each at retail — bring an accessory upsell that fans customize with aggression.

The hype is measurable. On the resale sites like StockX, sought-after Crocs collabs regularly fetch multiple times retail; the Lightning McQueen pair has repeatedly topped $200. Sellouts are unsurprising when a drop is hammering into a fan base as large as Windows users.

Is the $79.95 Price Fair for These Windows XP Crocs?

Non-collab Standard Classic Clogs tend to run a bit cheaper, but licensed collabs often fall into the $60–$85 range.

Here, the six Jibbitz you get would be worth about $30 à la carte, and the Bliss pouch contributes some perception value. In other words, you’re paying a nostalgia premium, but hardly an outrageous one in collaboration norms.

Comfort is still the wild card for anyone who has not donned Crocs. Light and supportive, and as divisive: loved for a day’s wear, polarizing in the fashion department. If you have a high tolerance for whimsy, these will be at home.

Who Should Buy the Windows XP Crocs, and Who Should Skip

These are custom fit for collectors, Microsoft superfans and anyone who still remembers their first desktop backgrounds. They’re also a fun gift for IT pros and fanatical followers of retro computing. If you’re on the fence, remember that limited runs can disappear in a flash, and resell pricing is seldom kinder.

For the rest of us, the XP Crocs are a modernist gesture that reminds us tech history isn’t just for museums. At other times, it’s for your feet — with Clippy cheering you on with each step.