This has been my Crocs summer.

Ever since I bought two pairs of the ugly yet comfortable shoes on sale at a local department store, they have been affixed to my feet. I have worn them almost everywhere. A few weeks later, my wife got a pair. We also got a pair for my soon-to-be two-year-old son. At times, we look like an advertisement for Crocs. Our initial enthusiasm for the shoes is starting to wane, though.

First of all, the original model Crocs don't provide great arch support. Their Swiss-cheese like design makes them impractical during the rain. They are not great for driving long distances either. Crocs has introduced new models to address these shortcomings, including the the odd looking Crocs venture leather dress shoes for men. There are also Crocs Ambler winter boots. Crocs even has something called jibbitz, "jewelry" to adorn Crocs.

Oh brother.

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Judging from Crocs' share price, many other people have grown tired of the trendy shoes as well. Shares of Crocs, which once were favorites of Wall Street, have plunged almost 90 percent this year. Moreover, loads of stores have cheap Crocs knock-offs, a trend which will only get worse.

As Crocs continues to struggle, it will likely continue to add new products. Eventually, the company will have to lower prices. When that happens, perhaps consumers will find the ugly shoes appealing yet again.

I blame the decline of Crocs -- as I do most things -- on President Bush. Last summer, the most unpopular president in modern times was photographed wearing a pair of the trendy shoes. Thank goodness this did not happen when he was meeting with the likes of Russian strongman Vladimir Putin or North Korean dictator Kim Jung-il. I am sure his enemies in Congress would have interpreted this as a sign of weakness as well.

Let's hope Bush sticks with wingtips and the odd loafer or sneaker as a footwear choice. Going trendy again could have disastrous consequences for all concerned.

DealDetectives.com reports that "ShoeBuy.com is offering 20% OFF Crocs when you use code EMLSUMBLOWOUT08. Sale prices start between $22 & $24 for Adult Sizes." Shipping is free and, if you're a new customer, you'll save another 10% for registering."

This is interesting evidence of further weakening in demand for Crocs but it's probably not really necessary: the stock has gone from $70 to $5 in less than a year.

But if you still like Crocs, and won't settle for the knockoffs, ShoeBuy.com has a good deal.

I know what you're thinking: $10 Crocs must be fake.

But these ones aren't. DSW is offering the Mambaz by Crocs Women's Beach Clog for $10, a savings of $15 off the retail price. Click here for the men's version at the same price. These are less expensive -- and less in demand -- than the traditional Crocs, but they're great for the beach. Another plus is that you won't be tempted to wear these anywhere other than the beach, which is a common fashion no-no associated with Crocs.

SlickDeals.net reports that you can even get free shipping on the clogs with the code MEMSHP.

I'd be tempted to order a pair myself if I weren't diametrically opposed to the idea of wearing Crocs of any sort.

Not satisfied with having already shod nearly every human foot in America, Crocs Inc. is setting its sights on your cellphone. Or camera. Or MP3 player. Its new $15 Crocs-o-dial are little shoes that hold an electronic device that you attach by strap or lanyard to yourself.

Seems like another overreach for a brand that has tried to nuzzle its way into clothing, high-priced shoes, retail stores, fake shoe laces, winter boots, and just about everything that could be made of Crocslite, its amazingly comfortable, smell-resistant foam. As Zac Bissonette pointed out this week on BloggingStocks, the company is starting to seem a little desperate. The stock once hit $70, but is now trading at about $11.

I myself suffered from Crocs mania for about a month last summer. I bought some Mary Janes and they were the ideal dog run shoe. (No treads on the bottom mean nothing gets stuck on your shoe). Then I decided to wear them to a bar. I felt ridiculous. I felt like I may as well have been wearing one of those sweatshirts that has some garish painting of a wolf or soaring eagle. Totally uncool.

I don't care how comfortable anyone claims Crocs shoes are, there is no way I will ever wear a pair. For me, they're too reminiscent of the horrible "jelly shoes" I wore as a kid. I wore jelly shoes by choice (so did you, shut up) but they were not something I want to relive. Rubbery shoes just aren't for me.

And Crocs are so darn ugly. They just have absolutely no fashion or style to them, no matter what color they're in. Sorry, there is just not enough comfort in the world that would allow me to wear them.

Then there's that whole thing about little kids getting their feet hacked up by escalators that dangerously suck the Crocs into them. I'm not willing to lose my baby toe just to wear a really comfortable but really obnoxious pair of shoes. Sorry.

Crocs will be making their way to feet everywhere, thanks to a new SolesUnited campaign to collect old shoes for recycling. The program was announced last night on "The Celebrity Apprentice," and it asks people to donate their worn-out Crocs so they can be remade into recycled Crocs that will be donated around the world.

These shoes made of recycled products are going to countries in which many people do not currently have any shoes. Crocs is outfitting them to help them avoid injuries to their feet and help them walk more. In January alone, 90,000 pairs of shoes were sent to developing countries around the world. These shoes are embossed with a special logo to indicate that they are made of recycled plastic and are intended for charity (not to be sold).

I don't care what anyone says about the comfort of Crocs, I will never, ever wear a pair. I may not be a fashion queen, but even I won't wear anything that ugly. But I get it... the shoes are popular with many and the company has done well on Wall Street. Kudos to Crocs for expanding this program to get more shoes on the feet of those who need them. This is a great program!

Tracy L. Coenen, CPA, MBA, CFE performs fraud examinations and financial investigations for her company Sequence Inc. Forensic Accounting, and is the author of Essentials of Corporate Fraud.