Holey footwear (4)

I believe the answer is:

croc

(Other definitions for croc that I've seen before include "Wild animal" , "Small animal" , "Large predatory reptile (colloq.)" , "that might be sitting on your foot" , "African beast; sounds like piece of pot" .)

I've seen this clue in The New York Times.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.