Crocs, Inc. is an American footwear company based in

Broomfield, Colorado Broomfield is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county located in the United States, U.S. Colorado, state of Colorado. It has a consolidated government which operates under Article XX, Sect ...

. It manufactures and markets the Crocs brand of foam footwear. Crocs, Inc. terms these "clogs," but they do not contain wood like traditional

clog Clogs are a type of footwear that has a thick, rigid sole typically made of wood, although in American English, shoes with rigid soles made of other materials are also called clogs. Traditional clogs remain in use as protective footwear in a ...

History

2002–2007

Scott Seamans, Lyndon Hanson and George Boedecker Jr. created Crocs in 2002 to make and distribute the sandals, as they saw its potential and ease of use for consumers. The Trio acquired Andrew Reddyhoff's design from Foam Creations, Inc. of

Quebec City Quebec City is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Census Metropolitan Area (including surrounding communities) had a populati ...

, which became the foundation of the Crocs sandals known in the present day. Seamans, Hanson, and Boedecker were drawn to the shoe's comfort and practicality. In 2002, Crocs unveiled their first model, the ''Beach'', at the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show in Florida, and all 200 pairs produced sold out. As the demand for Crocs grew, the company underwent further development and rebranding. In 2005, TDA Boulder redesigned the original Crocs logo and launched the "Ugly Can Be Beautiful" campaign, the first national advertising campaign for the Crocs brand. This successful campaign, created by Creative Director Thomas Dooley, Designer Matt Ebbing, and Creative Director Jonathan Schoenberg, helped pave the way for Crocs' successful IPO. On February 8, 2006, Crocs completed its IPO and opened on the

Nasdaq The Nasdaq Stock Market (; National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations) is an American stock exchange based in New York City. It is the most active stock trading venue in the U.S. by volume, and ranked second on the list ...

at a price of $21.00 per share, raising $208 million.

2008–2015

On April 14, 2008, during the

2008 financial crisis The 2008 financial crisis, also known as the global financial crisis (GFC), was a major worldwide financial crisis centered in the United States. The causes of the 2008 crisis included excessive speculation on housing values by both homeowners ...

, the stock dropped 30% in after-hours trading after the company issued a press release in which they significantly decreased earnings estimates for the first quarter. In the same statement, the company announced

layoff A layoff or downsizing is the temporary suspension or permanent termination of employment of an employee or, more commonly, a group of employees (collective layoff) for business reasons, such as personnel management or downsizing an organization ...

s of its 600 Quebec City factory employees as retailers had been reducing orders, though about 100 sales and marketing positions would remain. "The retail environment in the U.S. has become increasingly challenging as consumer spending and traffic levels have slowed,"

chief executive officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...

Ron Snyder said. During the

, CROX dropped to as low as $0.79 before rebounding ($15.50 by November 2010). On July 21, 2010, Crocs Inc. announced a restructuring plan to streamline its operations and workforce by eliminating 180 jobs, closing 75 to 100 stores (out of 624 worldwide), and scrapping underperforming product lines. Crocs has previously eliminated 183 positions, including 70 current and planned positions in its corporate headquarters in Niwot, Colorado. Crocs also announced they would open a "global commercial center" with 50 to 75 employees in

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, in 2014, for merchandising, marketing, and retail functions. On October 18, 2011, Crocs stock suffered a single-day drop of about 39.4% on lowered earnings and revenues forecast. In June 2013, Crocs reported a 42.5% decrease in net profits from the year before. As a result, the stock fell 20.2% in one day. In December 2013, the hedge fund SAC Capital Advisors disclosed that it held a 5% stake in Crocs, just over a day after The Blackstone Group said it would invest $200 million in a convertible preferred stock offering that would allow the company to replace its CEO and buy back $350 million in stock. In a filing with the

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government, created in the aftermath of the Wall Street crash of 1929. Its primary purpose is to enforce laws against market m ...

, SAC Capital management said it had accumulated a 5% passive stake in Crocs.

2016–present

Crocs had sold 300 million pairs of shoes by year 2017. In August 2018, Crocs announced it was closing its last company-operated manufacturing plants in Mexico and Italy. In June 2020, Crocs moved the headquarters from Niwot, Colorado, to Broomfield. In 2020, in response to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, the company launched "A Free Pair for Healthcare" offering healthcare workers a free pair of their shoes. Crocs also sent 100,000 pairs of shoes to hospitals to be distributed to staff. In the years 2020 to 2022, Crocs experienced a surge in sales due to several factors. One reason for the brand's resurgence was a shift in consumer behavior during the

, with many people looking for footwear that they could wear while working from home. Additionally, Crocs benefited from collaborations with high-profile fashion designers and a marketing campaign that helped to revitalize the brand's image. As a result of these factors, Crocs' sales had a two-digit rise annually during this period.

Acquisitions

In October 2006, Crocs Inc. purchased Jibbitz, a manufacturer of accessories that snap into the holes in Croc's shoes, for $10 million, or $20 million if Jibbitz met earnings goals. In January 2007, Crocs acquired assets of Ocean Minded for $1.75 million in cash, plus potentially $3.75 million based on performance. Ocean Minded makes

leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning (leather), tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffal ...

and

ethylene-vinyl acetate Ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), also known as poly(ethylene-vinyl acetate) (PEVA), is a copolymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate. The weight percent of vinyl acetate usually varies from 10 to 50%, with the remainder being ethylene. There are three ...

-based footwear. In July 2007 Crocs agreed to buy shoe- and sandal-maker Bite Footwear, based in

Redmond, Washington Redmond is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located east of Seattle. The population was 73,256 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Redmond is best known as the home of Microsoft and Nintendo of America. The city h ...

, for $1.75 million, or up to double that based on earnings results. In April 2008, Crocs acquired Tidal Trade, Inc. ("Tidal Trade"), the company's third-party distributor in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

, for $4.6 million. The company recorded $1.4 million in customer relationships on the date of acquisition. Crocs repurchased inventory previously sold to Tidal Trade and accordingly recognized a reduction of revenue of approximately $2.1 million. Also in April the company acquired Tagger International B.V. ("Tagger"), a private limited liability company incorporated under Dutch law that manufactures messenger bags. Tagger was partially owned by the Managing Director of Crocs Europe B.V. The company acquired all Tagger assets for $2 million;– $90,000 for inventory and $1.9 million for the Tagger trademark. Later in June, Crocs liquidated Fury, Inc. two years after acquiring it, after efforts to sell it off were unsuccessful. As a result, Crocs wrote off $250,000 related to the remaining customer relationships, intangible assets, and trademarks over three months. In February 2022, Crocs acquired the Italian shoe company HEYDUDE for $2.3 billion, as well as issuance of stock to one owner of HEYDUDE. Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the company's operations in Russia, including retail, e-commerce sales and imports into the country, have been suspended with a promise of support through donations to

UNICEF UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...

Manufacture and patents

In June 2004, Crocs purchased Foam Creations and their manufacturing operations to secure exclusive rights to the proprietary

foam Foams are two-phase materials science, material systems where a gas is dispersed in a second, non-gaseous material, specifically, in which gas cells are enclosed by a distinct liquid or solid material. Note, this source focuses only on liquid ...

resin A resin is a solid or highly viscous liquid that can be converted into a polymer. Resins may be biological or synthetic in origin, but are typically harvested from plants. Resins are mixtures of organic compounds, predominantly terpenes. Commo ...

called Croslite. Croslite is a closed-cell resin, described by third parties as an injection-moulded EVA foam. The foam forms itself to a wearer's feet and offers purported medical benefits, according to several

podiatrist A podiatrist ( ) is a medical professional devoted to the treatment of disorders of the foot, ankle, and related structures of the leg. The term originated in North America but has now become the accepted term in the English-speaking world for ...

s. Crocs holds a patent applied for under the title "breathable workshoes and methods for manufacturing such", and three design patents covering various ornamental aspects. As of 2007, the company had applied to register "Crocs" and the Crocs logo as trademarks in over 40 jurisdictions around the world, including the U.S.; many such applications were pending approval. Crocs also extended the scope of their trademark registrations and applications for both the Crocs mark and logo to cover non-footwear products, such as sunglasses, goggles, knee pads, watches, luggage, and some of their Internet sales activities.

Products

Crocs are made in a variety of styles and colors. The Classic styles are available in more than 30 colors. A "Fuzz Collection" with woolly liners extends the brand's range to winter wear. Crocs also sells other fashion accessories. Jibbitz are decorations that can be clipped to the ventilation holes in the shoes. In 2008, the company entered the golf shoe marketplace by acquiring the golf shoe manufacturer Bite Footwear and introducing a Croc-styled pair of golf shoes, the ''Ace''. After the acquisition of HeyDude for $2.5bn in 2022, the shoemaker expanded into shoes other than their patent clogs, and they even started manufacturing apparel.

Partnerships and collaborations

Crocs was the title sponsor of the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) Tour from 2006 through the 2009 season. Crocs were in the public eye in 2021 with celebrities like

Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian rapper, singer, and songwriter. Regarded as the "Queen of Rap" and one of the most influential rappers of all time, she is noted for her ...

and

Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is recognized for his multi-genre musical performances. He was discovered by record executive Scooter Braun in 2008 and subsequently brought to the U ...

modeling the shoes on social media. Crocs were popular on social media like TikTok, as well. Crocs collaborations are announced regularly, with individuals and brands designing their limited-edition versions. In 2021, they partnered with

The Smiley Company SmileyWorld Limited, trade name, trading as The Smiley Company, is a brand licensing company, based in London, United Kingdom. It claims to hold the rights to the smiley face in over 100 countries. The company creates products including textiles ...

to launch a special edition Croc. In 2023, they collaborated with German luxury label MCM for a series of limited releases.

Imitations and counterfeits

Crocs announced in 2006 that it filed complaints with the

United States International Trade Commission The United States International Trade Commission (USITC or I.T.C.) is an agency of the United States federal government that advises the legislative and executive branches on matters of trade. It was created by Congress in 1916 as the U.S. Tari ...

(ITC) and the

United States district court The United States district courts are the trial courts of the United States federal judiciary, U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each United States federal judicial district, federal judicial district. Each district cov ...

against 11 companies that manufacture, import, or distribute products, called "croc-offs","A chip off the old Croc, Sure, they're ugly. But the popular, funky clogs have plenty of imitators at their feet."
''

Fort Worth Star-Telegram The ''Fort Worth Star-Telegram'' is an American daily newspaper serving Fort Worth and Tarrant County, the western half of the North Texas area known as the Metroplex. It is owned by The McClatchy Company. History In May 1905, Amon G. Car ...

'' (TX). September 7, 2007. p E3. that Crocs believes infringe its patents. Seizures of

counterfeit A counterfeit is a fake or unauthorized replica of a genuine product, such as money, documents, designer items, or other valuable goods. Counterfeiting generally involves creating an imitation of a genuine item that closely resembles the original ...

Crocs occurred in 2007 in the Philippines and

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

, and were under litigation in

. In 2010, the

United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (in case citations, Fed. Cir. or C.A.F.C.) is one of the 13 United States courts of appeals. It has special appellate jurisdiction over certain categories of cases in the U.S. federa ...

held that Crocs'

design patent In the United States, a design patent is a form of legal protection granted to the ornamental design of an article of manufacture. Design patents are a type of industrial design right. Ornamental designs of jewelry, furniture, beverage containers ...

had been infringed. In 2007, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission requested a voluntary recall of Crocs-like "clogs" due to a potential choking hazard involving detaching plastic rivets. Versions of the Croc style shoes have appeared in children's fashion catalogs, usually under their name brands or as no names. Other knock-offs are in discount stores, amusement park stores, beach stores, department stores, and superstores.

Health and safety

Some Crocs shoes were tested and recommended by the U.S. Ergonomics company in 2005Costello, Kevin (March 7, 2005)
"Ergonomics Analyses of Crocs Footwear. Prepared for Crocs Inc."
'us-ergo.com''; U.S. Ergonomics. Archived at Open24.lt. Retrieved June 6, 2010. and were accepted by the

American Podiatric Medical Association The American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) is a professional medical organization representing Doctors of Podiatric Medicine (podiatrists) within the United States. The organization was founded in 1912 and is headquartered in Bethesda, Ma ...

"Footwear with APMA Seal of Acceptance"
''apma.org'';

. October 7, 2009. Note: CrocsRX is a Corporate Partner in

at th
$100000-$249999 contributions level
per APMA.org. 2009. in 2009. In 2008, the U.S. government

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is a federal agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that administers the Medicare program and works in partnership with state governments to administer ...

approved a model of Crocs with molded insoles as diabetic footwear, to help reduce foot injuries.AP (July 18, 2008)
"Crocs get a lift from diabetics as medical agency OKs footwear"
''

The Denver Post ''The Denver Post'' is a daily newspaper and website published in the Denver metropolitan area. it has an average print circulation of 57,265. In 2016, its website received roughly six million monthly unique visitors generating more than 13 mil ...

'', based on Crocs press release. Retrieved May 31, 2010. Footwear such as Crocs and

flip-flops Flip-flops are a type of light sandal-like shoe, typically worn as a form of casual footwear. They consist of a flat sole held loosely on the foot by a Y-shaped strap known as a toe thong that passes between the first and second toes and around ...

came under scrutiny in 2006 in the U.S. and in 2008 in Japan when children suffered injuries after the shoes became caught in

escalator An escalator is a moving staircase which carries people between floors of a building or structure. It consists of a Electric motor, motor-driven chain of individually linked steps on a track which cycle on a pair of tracks which keep the st ...

mechanisms.Snow, Kate (October 5, 2006)
"Crocs can pose a danger on escalators"
. ''ABC News.''. Retrieved April 19, 2007.AP (April 21, 2008)
"Kids Hurt While Wearing Crocs on Escalators"
''ABC Business News''. Retrieved November 5, 2009. This was due to the soft shoe material combined with the smaller size of children's feet."Experts recommend caution while wearing clogs"
''WMC-TV Memphis Tennessee.'' September 21, 2006. Retrieved April 19, 2007. In 2008, Japan's

Ministry of International Trade and Industry The was a Ministry (government department), ministry of the Government of Japan from 1949 to 2001. The MITI was one of the most powerful government agencies in Japan and, at the height of its influence, effectively ran much of Japanese industri ...

, after receiving 65 complaints of injuries, requested that Crocs change its design. Internationally, some healthcare facilities introduced policies in 2007 regulating Crocs. Rapid City Regional Hospital in

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state, state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Dakota people, Dakota Sioux ...

changed its dress code to prohibit the sandal variants and those with holes, citing safety concerns, but allowed closed-top "Professional" and the healthcare-focused "Rx" Crocs to be worn.Garrigan, Mary (February 1, 2007)
"Holey Crocs get the boot at Regional Hospital"
''

Rapid City Journal The ''Rapid City Journal'' (formerly the ''Black Hills Journal'' and the ''Rapid City Daily Journal'') is the daily newspaper of Rapid City, South Dakota. As of 2021, it is the largest newspaper in South Dakota by total subscriptions, according ...

''. Retrieved April 18, 2007. Over 100 hospitals in Canada were advised to implement similar policies.Talaga, Tanya (July 24, 2007)
"No Crocs for docs and nurses?"
''

Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part of Torstar's Daily News Brands (Torstar), Daily News Brands division. ...

''. Retrieved June 4, 2010.AP and Olafson, Joe (July 31, 2007)
"Crocs clampdown sparks health-care debate"

CTV News CTV News is the news division of the CTV Television Network in Canada. The name ''CTV News'' is also applied as the title of local and regional newscasts on the network's owned-and-operated stations (O&Os), which are closely tied to the nationa ...

Blekinge Blekinge () is one of the traditional Swedish provinces (), situated in the southern coast of the geographic region of Götaland, in southern Sweden. It borders Småland, Scania and the Baltic Sea. It is the country's second-smallest provin ...

and Karolinska University hospitals in Sweden banned the wearing of "Forsberg slippers" (''Foppatofflor'') by staff, due to high voltage

static electricity Static electricity is an imbalance of electric charges within or on the surface of a material. The charge remains until it can move away by an electric current or electrical discharge. The word "static" is used to differentiate it from electric ...

buildup which was observed"Requirements to stop slippers after dangerous incidents"
. ''Dagens Medicin'' ( SE). April 18, 2007
(English translation)
Retrieved June 6, 2010. to interfere with electronic equipment."Swedish hospital to ban 'Foppatoffels'"
''The Local'' (Sweden), April 18, 2007. Retrieved April 20, 2007.AP (April 19, 2007)

''Guardian Unlimited ( AP)''. Retrieved April 19, 2007."Karolinska prohibits foppa slippers"
. ''Dagens Medicin'' ( SE), April 27, 2007
(English translation)
Retrieved June 6, 2010. City hospitals in

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

, Austria, announced banning Crocs, often worn by nursing staff, to comply with antistatic requirements.

SAPA Sapa or Sapë may refer to: Places * Sapa, Mississippi, a community in the United States * Sa Pa, a district-level town in Lào Cai province, Northern Vietnam ** Sa Pa (ward) ** Sa Pa (ward), Sa Pả (ward) * Sapë, a town in Albania * Roman Cath ...

- AFP (August 12, 2008)
"Vienna hospitals ban Crocs"
''Mail & Guardian Online''. Retrieved August 13, 2008. Crocs announced the Fuse and two others in 2009, formulated to dissipate static electricity by European standard EN ISO 20347:2004 (E), for use in the medical sector.

Cultural influence

Sales of Crocs increased dramatically starting in 2009, with ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' stating that first-quarterly sales roughly tripled from 2006 to 2007.Walker, Rob (July 15, 2007)
"Croc On"
''

The New York Times Magazine ''The New York Times Magazine'' is an American Sunday magazine included with the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times''. It features articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted many notable contributors. The magazi ...

''. Retrieved May 31, 2010. A 2006 article in ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' described the phenomenon: "Nor is the fashion world enamored of Crocs. Though their maker touts their 'ultra-hip Italian styling,' lots of folks find them hideous." In 2007, then-U.S. President

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

publicly wore black Crocs with socks.Gilbert, Sarah (June 14, 2007)
"George Bush cozy with Crocs CEO: An ugly tide that raises two boats?"
''bloggingstocks.com''; AOL Money & Finance. Retrieved July 7, 2010. Comedian

Bill Maher William MaherStated on ''Finding Your Roots'', January 12, 2016, PBS; on a series that lists "Jr." and "Sr." distinctions, Bill Maher's birth name was listed simply as William Maher, while his father was William Aloysius Maher Jr., and his pa ...

stated during a 2007 episode of his show ''Real Time'' that people should "stop wearing plastic shoes". "It was only a year ago when only pre-schoolers and mental patients wore these. But now grownups, all over America, have gone Croc crazy. The latest step in our unending quest to dress as casually as humanly possible. You know, I used to wear flip-flops, but they were a little dressy. I want clothing I can hose down! Admit it: we're a nation of slobs who won't be happy until we can go to the mall in a diaper." A 2007 episode of ''

The Daily Show ''The Daily Show'' is an American late-night talk show, late-night talk and news satire television program. It airs each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central in the United States, with extended episodes released shortly after on Paramount+ ...

'' featured comedian Rob Corddry as a reporter satirically following up on that year's lewd conduct arrest of Senator Larry Craig, with Corddry stating that a person wearing Crocs is signaling that "anything goes". The 2006 film '' Idiocracy'' heavily features footwear as the costume department had a limited budget and Crocs were an inexpensive option. During the 2004 production of the film the team thought that the inexpensive plastic shoes both looked like they could be the shoe of the future but also too stupid to catch on, making them perfect for the film. In 2008, fashion consultant Tim Gunn told ''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

'', " he Croclooks like a plastic hoof. How can you take that seriously?" A 2008 anti-Crocs essay in ''

Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly news magazine based in New York City. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely distributed during the 20th century and has had many notable editors-in-chief. It is currently co-owned by Dev P ...

'' by ice hockey player Steve Tuttle generated much response from readers who both agreed and disagreed with it. In 2009, then-First Lady

Michelle Obama Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama ( Robinson; born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as the first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017, being married to Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United Stat ...

was spotted wearing Crocs with her daughter. Crocs were ranked the sixth worst thing to happen to men in 2007 by ''

Maxim Maxim or Maksim may refer to: Entertainment *Maxim (magazine), ''Maxim'' (magazine), an international men's magazine ** Maxim (Australia), ''Maxim'' (Australia), the Australian edition ** Maxim (India), ''Maxim'' (India), the Indian edition *Maxim ...

''. In 2010, ''Time'' magazine listed Crocs as one of the world's "50 Worst Inventions". The blog "IHateCrocs.com" was founded by two Canadian college students; one of its founders,

Kate Leth Katrina Jade "Kate" Leth (born 1988) is a Canadian comic book creator, known for works such as '' Patsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat!''. Career Leth was born in Ottawa and lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and attended NSCAD University, studying photogra ...

, referred to the shoes as "hideous". The website "CrocFans.com" documented the uses of the shoes. The Facebook group "I Don't Care How Comfortable Crocs Are, You Look Like a Dumbass" has been mentioned in the media. In the mid-2010s, public perception of Crocs began to shift. In 2015, Prince George was photographed at a charity event wearing navy blue Crocs. After one week, this created a 1,500% increase of sales according to a spokesperson for

Amazon.com Amazon.com, Inc., doing business as Amazon, is an American multinational technology company engaged in e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. Founded in 1994 by Jeff Bezos in Bellevu ...

. Fashion designer Christopher Kane had his models wear Crocs during his show at the 2016

London Fashion Week London Fashion Week (LFW) is a clothing trade show that takes place in London, England, twice a year, in June and September. Showcasing over 250 designers to a global audience of influential media and retailers, it is one of the 'Big Four' fash ...

, and

Balenciaga Balenciaga SA ( , , ) is a Spanish Basque luxury fashion house currently headquartered in Paris. It designs, manufactures and markets ready-to-wear footwear, handbags, and accessories, and licenses its name and branding to the American cosmeti ...

released a 10 cm Croc platform shoe in 2017. Crocs saw a massive surge in popularity in 2020, caused by the rise of casual fashion during the early stages of the

and its worldwide lockdowns. By 2022, they were the best-selling item of clothing on Amazon. Industry experts believed that much of the trend was also driven by Gen Z's desire for "comfort and unconventional style". Celebrities such as

, Bad Bunny,

Ariana Grande Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Regarded as a pop icon and an influential figure in popular music, Grande is known for her four-octave vocal range, which extends into the whistle re ...

Post Malone Austin Richard Post (born July 4, 1995), known professionally as Post Malone, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. His music blends various genres including hip-hop, Pop music, pop, Contemporary R&B, R&B, Tra ...

Questlove Ahmir K. Thompson (born January 20, 1971), known professionally as Questlove (stylized as ), is an American drummer, record producer, disc jockey, filmmaker, music journalist, and actor. He is the drummer and joint frontman (with Black Thought ...

, and

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...

all sported Crocs during the early 2020s, inspiring fans to embrace the shoes' "newfound coolness". There have also been limited edition themed Crocs created in collaboration with Bieber,

KFC KFC Corporation, doing business as KFC (an abbreviation of Kentucky Fried Chicken), is an American fast food restaurant chain specializing in fried chicken and chicken sandwiches. Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, it is the world's se ...

, Hidden Valley Ranch, and

Pixar Pixar (), doing business as Pixar Animation Studios, is an American animation studio based in Emeryville, California, known for its critically and commercially successful computer-animated feature films. Pixar is a subsidiary of Walt Disney ...

References

External links

* * {{S&P 400 companies 2002 establishments in Colorado 2006 initial public offerings 2000s fashion 2010s fashion 2020s fashion American companies established in 2002 Clothing companies established in 2002 Companies based in Boulder County, Colorado Companies listed on the Nasdaq Companies in the S&P 400 Manufacturing companies based in Colorado Shoe brands Shoe companies of the United States Clogs (shoes)