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Raise your hands if you thought they are ugly ✋

Well you were not the only one. The fashion industry unanimously cornered out Clogs as a blotch on fashion.

Scott Seamans, Lyndon Hanson, and George Boedecker Jr. started Crocs in 2002. They acquired the design rights from Foam Creations (Canada based company). The company specialized in foam molding for a wide range of products. The founders came up with the name Crocs inspired by crocodiles who can live on land and water. The Clogs were designed for multipurpose usage, breathable with 13 holes and long lasting. The motive was to create comfortable footwear for rough and tough use, like gardeners, people working on boats, construction workers etc.

The journey 🐊

The brand started in 2002 with Clogs as their debut design. The brand positioned itself as a functional thing ( easy to clean and wash etc) for target consumers who are on their feet a lot. Clogs were an instant hit, the shoe was accessible through retail stores, malls etc. they were just easy to get. In 2006, Crocs acquired Jibbitz – a company that made shoe charms. The IPO was launched in the same year with Crocs being one of US largest footwear brand listings. Post listing the craze faded away. The Company suffered huge net losses from the period of 2008 to 2016. The sales and stock prices both declined.

Meme to Mainstream

The company in their efforts to turnaround their story appointed Andrew Reeds as CEO in 2017. In its major restructuring effort the brand closed its unprofitable stores, changed the management, discontinued other footwear designs (yes they made heels and sandals as well) and withdrew from mall kiosks. They focused on selling through online platforms like Amazon and focused on heavy visibility.

The company realised that the product was not at fault but the image was a bit obstructive. They changed the narrative of the brand. Crocs was subjected to mockery, Tik tokers laughed at the design, influencers called it a blight on society but everyone paid attention when Justin Bieber was spotted wearing Clogs (somewhere in 2019). Bieber even wore the Balenciaga X Crocs platform Clogs to Grammys 2022.

Crocs proved that they are not here to follow fashion and impress others. It is about your own comfort and how you want to express yourself with the jibsters. Thus came the tagline – Come as you are. The  focus on personalization paid off as the jibsters sale sky rocketed. Every pair became a reflection of one self and ended up on Facebook/Instagram/Tiktok giving the brand free promotion by their loyalists.

The sales reached a record high in 2021 when the world slowed down because of the pandemic. People chose comfort over their everyday footwear and suddenly Clogs were the go-to choice. The brand has a global presence and is constantly collaborating with influencers, brands and new designs to remain in focus and mainstream. The clog which was looked down upon is now walking runways.