What was once the chosen footwear of medics and chefs battling long shifts and tired feet has of late had a serious injection of cool and gained a loyal and very trendy following. These infamous, chunky, foam-like resin clodhoppers, with ventilation holes and a roomy fit, are the ultimate comeback kid.
For the past few years, Crocs have been spotted on the trotters of fashion-forward celebrities such as singers Post Malone and FKA Twigs. Justin Bieber even chose to elevate the shoe to red-carpet status when he wore Balenciaga x Crocs platform clogs to the 2022 Grammy Awards.
We can’t think of many brands that are as likely to be found in a fashionista’s wardrobe as they are on a toddler’s feet; Crocs truly are shoes for everyone – or everyone who has enough moola to buy a pair, that is.
Even with the current “Croctober” sale on, you’re looking at upwards of about R500 for classic clogs and R2,000 for the new Echo Sandstorm boot style.
Yet, despite their obvious popularity, the Crocs’ aesthetic continues to be a divisive issue. Kinder critics label them “unconventionally attractive”, while haters go as far as to say they are hideous.
Is it a case of the emperor wearing no clothes? Or, in this case, is he kitted out in a pair of bling Crocs and nothing else? That’s for you to argue. The brand has blithely leant into this dynamic tension from the beginning. Its first logo was “Ugly can be beautiful”.
Cool collabs
Crocs was founded by US trio Scott Seamans, Lyndon “Duke” Hanson and George Boedecker Jr when they bought the rights to distribute a type of shoe they’d been drawn to because of its comfort. They released the first model of what they’d called Crocs in 2002, and it quickly sold out. While the company grew rapidly, it did have a difficult few years during the financial crisis. This all changed in 2020 though. Thanks to the arrival of Covid, Crocs became the chosen comfy shoe for those working from and staying at home.
Now that we’re all back in the real world, Crocs mania does not seem to be abating. In fact, if the hordes swamping local stores are anything to go by, the company really seems to have discovered a recipe for money-making magic.
It has added a plethora of fashion-forward designs, like the woolly-lined Warm Fuzz Collection and the Stomp Loafers and Stomp Mary Janes. It also still offers old favourites like the classic clog and slide.
Globally, Crocs’ sales have risen steadily. At the end of June 2024, over 12 months, this Nasdaq-listed company posted revenue of roughly $4bn. That’s a lot of ugly shoes sold.
Certainly, a major brand growth factor has been timeous and smart collaborations with high-profile fashion designers, brands and musicians. These deals have done loads to revitalise the brand’s image. Well-known franchises that have drunk the Crocs Kool-Aid include Scooby-Doo, the Care Bears and Hello Kitty. Even McDonald’s and Levi have released limited-edition Crocs, as have musicians like Lil Nas X, and country and western star Luke Combs.
Crocs’ most recent limited-edition line was a collab with Irish fashion designer Simone Rocha. The drop of three unique styles, featuring Rocha’s signature embellishments, like pearls and gems, sold out fast.
Another clever addition has been the introduction of Jibbitz. These little charms, that come in the form of letters, sayings, cartoon characters and the like, are popped into the holes of your shoes for some “originality and flair”. It’s a sneaky development that keeps Crocs fans spending and adding to their collection. Internationally, Jibbitz sales grew from a $70m-dollar business in 2020 to $200m in 2022.
In South Africa Crocs are sold by Ares Holdings, which also distributes Under Armour and Birkenstock.
Currency approached Crocs South Africa to try and get to bottom of just what the company thinks has made the brand so popular in Mzansi. In a surprisingly clandestine twist, the marketing team said that, as per “new global guidelines”, they’re not allowed to be interviewed by journalists.
So, we’ll have to surmise – judging by the long list of South African Crocs stores and stockists – that, like the rest of the globe, we’ve been beguiled by the shoe that proves beauty really is in the eye of the beholder.