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Crocs: The ugly footling
The garish clogs that feel as if you're walking on a sponge, inspire either love or loathing.
from the August 22, 2007 edition
Page 3 of 3
Boulder, a laid-back city of 100,000, is not exactly known for Parisian chic. Its last significant contribution to pop culture may have been "Mork & Mindy." As far as fashion goes, it's the kind of place where people wear – well, their Crocs ... everywhere. An outsider might think Boulder was home to a clown college.
Yet it's that element of whimsy that accounts for much of Crocs' appeal. "The idea that I can do grown-up serious stuff and wear these silly shoes, that's fun," says Polk. "It's kind of like going to a candy store, but you don't eat it; you wear it."
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While candy-colored feet may not be for everyone, Lyndon "Duke" Hanson, Crocs vice president and cofounder, has a ready reply for naysayers: Just try them on. "We know there are Crocs bashers out there, but we can convert most haters," he says. "We say, 'We know they're ugly, but once you try them on, they're a thing of beauty.' "
In fact, the company's first ad campaign was, "Ugly can be beautiful." But even at Crocs, the iconic success of the shoe has been surprising. "In just five years it went from just the three of us with a startup, to having 5,000 employees worldwide and a $5 billion company," says Mr. Hanson. "It's certainly not something we expected."
Crocs is expanding its line. The company now sells more than 30 models – all variations on the basic cloglike shoe. While cheaper imitations of it now abound, they don't seem to have hurt sales. Come fall, a more stylish brand called YOU by Crocs will arrive in stores, featuring leather shoes and boots that incorporate Crocs resin.
Still, the bright slip-ons remain the company's mainstay. As long as their popularity persists, devoted Crocs haters say they'll continue with their venom, too. Ravina thinks the fad will soon fade – "look at the Macarena," he says.
But Hanson is paying no heed to predictions of doom. "Sure, we had a one-hit wonder of a shoe, and we know that. But once you get to $5 billion, you're not a fad anymore; you've defined an industry," he says. "We're probably the most popular shoe in history."
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