Crocs, Inc. is an American footwear company based in Broomfield, Colorado, that manufactures and markets the Crocs brand of foam footwear. Crocs, Inc. term these "clogs", but they do not contain any wood like traditional

clog Clogs are a type of footwear made in part or completely from wood. Used in many parts of the world, their forms can vary by culture, but often remained unchanged for centuries within a culture. Traditional clogs remain in use as protective f ...

History

2002–2007

Scott Seamans, Lyndon "Duke" Hanson, and George Boedecker Jr founded Crocs in 2002 to produce and distribute the shoe, as they recognized its potential and utility for consumers. The trio acquired Andrew Reddyhoff's design from Foam Creations, Inc. of

Quebec City Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), 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 Communauté métrop ...

, which became the foundation of the Crocs shoe known today. Seamans, Hanson, and Boedecker were drawn to the ugly shoe's comfort, practicality, and unique features. In 2002, Crocs unveiled their first model, the ''Beach'', at the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show in Florida, and all 200 pairs produced quickly sold out, demonstrating the instant popularity of the footwear. 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. In February 2006, Crocs completed its initial public offering (IPO) of common stock, trading on the NASDAQ Stock Market under the symbol CROX. Despite facing some challenges, including a stock value drop in 2007 due to decreased revenue projections, Crocs' popularity continued to rise, making it a globally recognized and beloved footwear brand.

2008–2015

On April 14, 2008, during the midst of the

financial crisis of 2007–2008 Finance is the study and discipline of money, currency and capital assets. It is related to, but not synonymous with economics, the study of production, distribution, and consumption of money, assets, goods and services (the discipline of fi ...

, 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, they also said they would lay off 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 central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

Ron Snyder said. During the financial crisis, 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) as well as 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, 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 a year before. As a result, the stock fell 20.2% in one day. In December 2013, the hedge fund

SAC Capital Advisors SAC Capital Advisors was a group of hedge funds founded by Steven A. Cohen in 1992. The firm employed approximately 800 people

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 U.S. 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. The primary purpose of the SEC is to enforce the law against market ...

, 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, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, 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 Crocs 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, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffalo, pigs and hogs, ...

and

ethylene-vinyl acetate Ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), also known as poly (ethylene-vinyl acetate) (PEVA), is the copolymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate. The weight percent of vinyl acetate usually varies from 10 to 40%, with the remainder being ethylene. There are th ...

-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 census, up from 54,144 in 2010. Redmond is best known as the home of Microsoft and Nintendo of America. With an an ...

, 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 southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

, 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 called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Devel ...

Manufacture and patents

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

resin In polymer chemistry and materials science, resin is a solid or highly viscous substance of plant or synthetic origin that is typically convertible into polymers. Resins are usually mixtures of organic compounds. This article focuses on natu ...

called Croslite. Croslite is a closed-cell resin, described by third parties as an injection-moulded

EVA foam Ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), also known as poly (ethylene-vinyl acetate) (PEVA), is the copolymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate. The weight percent of vinyl acetate usually varies from 10 to 40%, with the remainder being ethylene. There are thr ...

. The foam forms itself to a wearer's feet and offers purported medical benefits, according to a number of

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''.

Partnerships and collaborations

Crocs was the title sponsor of the

Association of Volleyball Professionals The Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) is the biggest and longest-running professional beach volleyball tour in the United States. Founded in 1983, the AVP is headquartered in Newport Beach, California. The AVP operates as a 3-tiered ...

(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-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accent ...

and

Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...

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

The Smiley Company The Smiley Company is a brand licensing company, based in London, United Kingdom. It holds the rights to the smiley face in over 100 countries. The company creates products including textiles, puzzles, party goods, stationery, automobile accessorie ...

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 (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, which each cover o ...

against 11 companies that manufacture, import or distribute products, called "croc-offs","A chip off the ol' 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. Carter acc ...

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

counterfeit To counterfeit means to imitate something authentic, with the intent to steal, destroy, or replace the original, for use in illegal transactions, or otherwise to deceive individuals into believing that the fake is of equal or greater value tha ...

Crocs occurred in 2007 in the Philippines and

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

, 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 a United States court of appeals that has special appellate jurisdiction over certain types of specialized cases in the Federal judiciary of ...

held that Crocs' design patent 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. Crocs-like brands include Airwalk, Crosskix, Poliwalks, USA Dawgs/Doggers, Veggies, among others. Versions of the Croc style shoes have appeared in children's fashion catalogs, usually under their own 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, Mar ...

"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 M ...

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

flip-flops Flip-flops are a type of light sandal, 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 both side ...

came under scrutiny in 2006 in the U.S. and 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 motor-driven chain of individually linked steps on a track which cycle on a pair of tracks which keep the step tread horizo ...

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 Children's feet are smaller than those of adults, not reaching full size until the ages of 13 in girls and 15 in boys. There are correspondingly small sizes of shoes for them. In poor populations and tropical countries, children commonly go bar ...

."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 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 industrial policy, funding research and di ...

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

Rapid City Rapid City ( lkt, link=no, Mni Lúzahaŋ Otȟúŋwahe; "Swift Water City") is the second most populous city in South Dakota and the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek, where the settlement developed, it is in western So ...

Regional Hospital in

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. 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 Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...

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''. 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. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part ...

''. 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 national ...

Blekinge Blekinge (, old da, Bleking) 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 ...

and

Karolinska University The Karolinska Institute (KI; sv, Karolinska Institutet; sometimes known as the (Royal) Caroline Institute in English) is a research-led medical university in Solna within the Stockholm urban area of Sweden. The Karolinska Institute is consiste ...

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 or between materials. The charge remains until it is able to move away by means of an electric current or electrical discharge. Static electricity is na ...

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 en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

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

SAPA The South African Press Association (SAPA) was the national news agency of South Africa until its closure in 2015. History The agency was established on 1 July 1938 by major South African newspapers to facilitate the sharing of news. Reuters had ...

- 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 in accordance with 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'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' 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 Supplement (publishing), supplement included with the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times''. It features articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted man ...

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

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'' 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 who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

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 Maher (; born January 20, 1956) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is known for the HBO political talk show ''Real Time with Bill Maher'' (2003–present) and the similar la ...

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 and satirical news television program. It airs each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central with release shortly after on Paramount+. ''The Daily Show'' draws its comedy and satire form from ...

'' featured comedian Rob Corddry as a reporter satirically following up on that year's lewd conduct arrest of Senator

Larry Craig Lawrence Edwin Craig (born July 20, 1945) is an American retired politician from the state of Idaho. A Republican Party (United States), Republican, he served 18 years in the United States Senate (1991–2009), preceded by 10 years in the U.S. ...

, with Corddry stating that a person wearing Crocs is signaling that "anything goes". The 2006 film

Idiocracy ''Idiocracy'' is a 2006 American science fiction comedy film directed by Mike Judge and co-written by Judge and Etan Cohen. Starring Luke Wilson, Maya Rudolph, Dax Shepard, and Terry Crews, the film tells the story of Corporal Joe Bauers (Wi ...

heavily features the 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 actually catch on, making them perfect for the film. In 2008, fashion consultant

Tim Gunn Timothy MacKenzie Gunn (born July 29, 1953) is an American author, academic, and television personality. He served on the faculty of Parsons School of Design from 1982 to 2007 and was chair of fashion design at the school from August 2000 to Mar ...

told ''

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

'', "

he Croc He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...

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

Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...

'' by ice hockey player

Steve Tuttle Steve Walter Tuttle (born January 5, 1966) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward who played for parts of three seasons (1988–1991) for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League, scoring a total of 28 goals in his career. ...

generated much response from readers who both agreed and disagreed with it. In 2009, then-First Lady

Michelle Obama Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama (born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. She was the first African-American woman to serve in this position. She is married t ...

was spotted wearing Crocs with her daughter. Crocs were ranked the sixth worst thing to happen to men in 2007 by '' 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, referred to the shoes as "hideous". The website "CrocFans.com" documented 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. ( ) is an American multinational technology company focusing on e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. It has been referred to as "one of the most influential economi ...

. Fashion designer Christopher Kane had his models wear Crocs during his show at the 2016 London Fashion Week, and

Balenciaga Balenciaga SA ( ) is a luxury fashion house founded in 1919 by the Spanish designer Cristóbal Balenciaga in San Sebastian, Spain. Balenciaga produces ready-to-wear, footwear, handbags, and accessories and licenses its name and branding to C ...

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 Generation Z (or more commonly Gen Z for short), colloquially known as zoomers, is the Western demographic cohort succeeding Millennials and preceding Generation Alpha. Researchers and popular media use the mid-to-late 1990s as starting birt ...

'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. Her four-octave vocal range has received critical acclaim, and her personal life has been the subject of widespread media attention. She has received ...

, Post Malone,

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

, and

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...

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 (Kentucky Fried Chicken) is an American fast food restaurant chain headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, that specializes in fried chicken. It is the world's second-largest restaurant chain (as measured by sales) after McDonald's, with 2 ...

Hidden Valley Ranch Hidden or The Hidden may refer to: Film and television Film * ''The Hidden'' (film), a 1987 American science fiction/horror film * ''Hidden'' (2005 film) or ''Caché'', a French thriller film * ''Hidden'' (2009 film), a Norwegian horror film ...

, and Pixar.

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)