I know what you’re thinking. “Hold the phone, Crocs? Fashionable? You’re kidding me right?” Well, maybe you’re not thinking exactly those words (that’d be really spooky), but you’re obviously disturbed. Am I right?
I thought so.
Do you remember when Crocs shoes were launched? Let me take you back, dear reader, to a whole decade to 2002 and the creation of a weird foam clog that was about to explode on the market. Designed by three buddies, George Boedecker Jr, Scott Seamans and Lyndon Hanson, known as Duke to his friends, these shoes turned the industry on its head.
It was the use of the special trademarked foam, called Croslite, that helped this new shoe brand get more attention. What sounded like a marketing ‘thing’ turned out to be an actual ‘thing’; people seemed to feel the difference in wearing them, making feet feel less tired and thankfully less smelly. So that was a win. The only issue was the way they looked.
The Weird World Of Croc Shoes
For those that sought comfort over fashion, Crocs did the job perfectly. They found their way with people who were on their feet a lot. Hospital staff, cleaners, shop workers and many other areas really felt the benefit of these comfy, but still a bit weird, shoes. It soon became clear that, thanks to their long lasting design, that those who were going to buy Crocs had already bought them. So where did they go from here?
A few years ago, some odd stuff happened. Crocs started to look at some new ideas. They sharpened up the shape and played around with the ‘classic’ Crocs style. Before we knew it, we had cool new Crocs to be confused by. Fur effect boots like the Crocs Nadia range, the sporty Crocs Hover sneakers, even the quite frankly cute Crocs Jaunt Wellington-style boots hit the market and looked pretty good.
Even celebrities came out in support of their Crocs. We gasped as Kate Winslet, P Diddy and Matt Damon proudly wore these plastic comfy shoes. The world had turned on its head! It became pretty clear that Crocs hadn’t quite gone away. Now Crocs come in all kinds of fashion forward designs. You’d never believe it! People are wearing Crocs flip-flops for the beach, and Crocs wedges have turned up in the wardrobes of stylish women the world over. Now you can even customize your Crocs with Jibbitz charm accessories.
Could it be that Crocs aren’t the flash in the pan gimmick we thought they were? Sure seems they’re sticking around a good long while.