Mario Batali Bought 200 Pairs of Orange Crocs Before They Were Discontinued

Celeb chef takes his fashion statement to a whole 'nother level

By Brett Malec Nov 26, 2013 8:50 PMTags
Chef Mario Batali, John Caparella, Sebastien SilvestriCourtesy: Tom Donoghue

Mario Batali has taken his commitment to his signature fashion statement to a whole new level!

The celebrity chef, who's known for perpetually wearing orange Crocs, recently revealed to Details magazine that expanded his collection of the shoes in a big way.

When asked how many pairs of Crocs he own, he told the mag, "Probably 30. I just ordered 200 more because they're about to take orange out of the field. They made a special run for me before they retired the color."

230 orange Crocs?!

"They're gonna stop the Mario Batali orange!" he continued. "It's preposterous! But they're doing pretty well without me. Nothing lasts forever, baby."

Orange Crocs aside, Batali opened up about meeting many of his famous friends (like Gwyneth Paltrow and Bono!).

"It's an opportunity you can easily blow if you're too suck-uppy," he dished. "I'd just say, ‘I'm a big fan of your work.' They appreciate what I do too, so it diminishes that wall of ‘What the fuck are we gonna talk about?'"

As for the first celeb he ever met, Batali said, "Michael Stipe or Bill Clinton. Clinton met everyone in the room. Clinton was that guy. He was with his total brigade when he came to Babbo. We've become friends over time. We help out each other's foundations, but I don't think I'm on his speed dial. Michael Stipe came in, and we were playing PJ Harvey really loud. He said, ‘I like this place.' I said, ‘Thanks so much.' Then I went back in and cooked. Third time he came in, he said, ‘Sit down. Let's have a drink.' These are normal people whose work I just happen to appreciate so much."