Benjamin Pachev has been running with his parents since he was little, so it's no surprise the recent Brigham Young University graduate finished 16th in the 500 Festival Mini-Marathon on Saturday.

What was a surprise, however, was that the 18-year-old was wearing a pair of $20 classic khaki Crocs clogs on his feet.

His dad, 44-year-old software engineer Sasha Pachev, first realized the rubber clogs might provide the elite runner with more support and comfort.

"I was trying to figure out if there was a better way to run than in regular running shoes," Pachev said. "I was experimenting with different things."

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Pachev and his wife, Sarah, have 10 kids, from 8 months to 18 years, and they run with the older ones six days a week near their Orem, Utah, home. One day in 2009, the kids refused to change out of their Crocs when Pachev urged them to "put on real shoes."

"I said, 'OK, let's see how it goes,'" he said. "And they ran, at fast speeds, and I could tell their form was better in Crocs. It looks more natural. I said maybe there's something to it."

Pachev tried it out, and to his surprise, the loose-fitting slingback clogs stayed put.

"I really liked the feeling, and I've run in them ever since," he said. "They're really not that much different, speedwise, from racing flats.”

The theory behind running in Crocs, Pachev said, is similar to running barefoot or in the Vibram FiveFingers shoes that mimic the feel of a bare foot.

"They basically feel like you’re running barefoot on grass, except you’re doing it on asphalt and you’re not losing the speed," he said. "It's a very good feeling."

Sasha Pachev came in 44th among more than 20,000 runners.

His 16-year-old daughter, Jennifer, ran the Festival 500 5K the same day and finished ninth overall.

She was wearing black Crocs.

The Pachevs aren't picky about the color. They simply find the cheapest on Amazon in their size.

"It's not the color that matters; it's the same Croc," he said. "I grew up running in Moscow, Russia. We didn’t have the luxury of having the fanciest shoes. We ran in basketball shoes or whatever we could find. We developed resilience, and we don’t need special running shoes."

Crocs last longer than the typical running shoe, too, he said. Pachev can get up to 3,000 miles out of a pair of Crocs before boring a hole through the shoe bed. On average, a running shoe will last 400 to 500 miles.

"Everyone is in the grasp of companies like Nike and Adidas, and they think whatever Nike throws in the market, that's what style they should get," he said.

Sock type isn't important with Crocs, he said, so long as he is wearing them.

"I've never gotten a blister when I've run in Crocs," Pachev said. "I've had plenty of marathons where I've gotten blisters."

And, shockingly, the shoes have fallen off only once during a race. Pachev attributed that to the wind, though, and said he only lost five seconds. "But I’m willing to take that risk."

Pachev and his family are used to the odd looks and comments from other runners while wearing the shoes, he said.

"They normally go, 'Who's this idiot running in Crocs, and why are they keeping up with me?'" he said.

Of course, the rubber clogs aren't perfect. Pachev would make a few modifications: Add an extra strap and create a lighter and more durable sole. He has reached out to the Colorado-based company for potential sponsorship opportunities, but representatives didn't seem open to it, he said.

"I tried to establish it multiple times without success," he said. "They told me they were not interested in promoting the Crocs as an athletic shoe. Sponsorship or not, that’s the best shoe on the market for our purposes."

Call IndyStar reporter Amy Bartner at (317) 444-6752. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.