For interviews, product samples or other media related queries, please contact our PR Department at publicrelations@crocs.com.
Back to News
Brand of the Year Award
Footwear News, Dec 5, 2005
Crocs is on the prowl.
In 2005, the colorful and somewhat kitschy brand leapt from footwear fad to cultural phenomenon.
With its Swiss-cheese looks, the comfort kicks began as a product for boaters seeking slip-resistant shoes with drainage capabilities. But the distinctive looks are resonating with consumers near and far.
The festive shoes are now carried by more than 5,700 retailers, including Boulder, Colo.-based Pedestrian Shops.
“We have done so well with Crocs that we increased the size of our store by 30 percent,” said Richard Polk, owner of Pedestrian Shops and ComfortableShoes.com. “I’ve never seen anything like Crocs, and I’ve been doing this for 36 years.”
The allure has a lot to do with the shoes’ construction. Crocs are made of proprietary, closed-cell resin called Croslite. The material is anti-microbial, designed to cut down on odor retention and to mold to a person’s foot. The shoes are also surprisingly lightweight, given their wide lasts - a main reason they have become favorites with groups as varied as doctors and nurses, chefs, gardeners and college kids.
“The amazing thing about Crocs is that the demo is so wide,” said Polk. “On one bench, there’s a bank president; on the next, giggling middle school girls. The common denominator is that all these people are comfortable and delighted.”
“Crocs created excitement in the footwear industry,” said Ron Snyder, CEO of the Boulder, Colo.-based firm, founded in 2002. “We felt there was a void in the comfort footwear market. We were able to offer a new and unique product that filled that void.”
To further its popularity and brand visibility this year Crocs introduced its first national marketing campaign, portraying lifestyle shots that poke fun at itself for boasting an admittedly less-than-photogenic look. The ad blitz, titled “Ugly Can Be Beautiful,” played up the quirkiness of the brand’s clogs and touted its comfort and affordable price points (under $30). As Footwear News reported earlier this year, the campaign concept, which was created by Boulder, Colo.-based TDA Advertising & Design, stemmed from the reaction people had on first seeing the shoes. The spots ran in Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, GO, Men’s Journal, Rea! Simple and Time Our New York. The Crocs product universe is growing. Earlier this year, Crocs bowed a gear line, which includes sunglasses, gardening kneepads, clothing and hats.
“We now have nine models in up to 17 different colors,” said Snyder, “and we intend to continue diversifying our footwear portfolio with new models and color introductions.”
While executives have largely focused on winning consumers, they have also been testing the brand’s likeability with another crowd: Wall Street.
Crocs filed for an initial public offering on Aug. 15, stating that it planned to offer up to $145 million in common stock. In its SEC filing, the company said it would use the proceeds from the IPO to pay down a $5 million credit line as well as invest money back into the business. A trading date, however, remains unnamed.
Nevertheless, Wall Street has a compelling story to read: Crocs’ 2004 sales totaled $13.5 million, a giant leap from the $1.3 million reported a year earlier, according to SEC filings.
Emily Scardino