There was a time when the term crocs was an apt description for luxury. People used this term to refer to pricey crocodile skin used in making shoes and bags. That’s not the case today as it is associated with a different product type. Today Crocs is one of the most famous footwear brands in the world, and it comes with an exciting history. Crocs” history starts with an idea aimed at boating clogs but has grown into a worldwide phenomenon today.

Crocs are one of the few brands that surprised the fashion industry. Since its first introduction at Fort Lauderdale Boat Show, over 300 million units have been sold worldwide. In this article, we’ll explore Croc’s history and its growth timeline. Please keep reading to discover the exciting history of this brand and its standing today. 

Crocs History Timeline

Very few people don’t know the Crocs brand as one of the most famous footwear brands today. However, not everybody knows the company’s history and what the inspiration behind the famous brand is. In this article, we’ll follow a timeline of the brand’s history to its present state. 

The Beginning

Two decades later, over three hundred million Crocs were sold; subsequently, Crocs are more of a cultural phenomenon today. However, it started in July 2002 with its three founders: Lyndon Hanson, George Boedecker, and Scott Seamans. The three came up with a simple idea of a shoe and then took it to Fort Lauderdale. For many reasons, the shoe had more impact than they could have accepted.

The material used in the production of the shoe is called Croslite. This material comes with a shockproof feature that makes it easy to absorb shocks and vibrations. It also allowed the wearer to distribute the weight of the foot evenly. Additionally, Croslite was waterproof and ensured sweat absorption and water stagnation. This feature made it impossible to grow bacteria. It was also impossible to sustain odours and even wear from moisture. 

The initial destination of the Crocs was boat decks because of these features. It was strong, light, and waterproof. Its waterproof feature also made it easy to wash, and all of these features made it the perfect shoe for sailors. However, their debut in Fort Lauderdale opened the trio’s eyes to more possibilities. They soon realized their potential for more outstanding sales as legions of nurses and kitchen workers took to purchasing the shoes. From this point in Croc’s history, the company started experiencing one of the highest swaths of clientele.

Making It Into the White House

Despite this success, the company’s real breakout was in 2006. During this period, the Washington Post wrote that Crocs had spread like vermin, and it was one of the viral success stories to take note of. The post mentioned that although the shoes started as simply airy, waterproof, and anti-smelling, they had spread beyond word-of-mouth in a way that the founders had not expected. 

Their social ascent got the Crocs to the White House when President Bush wore crocs in combo with a pair of socks. This move resulted in ironies but furthered the company’s success. In 2009, Michelle Obama wore a pair of shoes with her daughter. 

When the shoes debuted at Bush’s feet, it was beyond shocking to the audience and showed the shoe’s vast potential. It was so helpful that wearing the shoes wasn’t a social signifier. Crocs were simply comfortable enough for the president to choose to wear them in his spare time. Unlike many other footwear brands, Crocs found a loophole in the socio-anthropological rules that divided the fashion house. Due to this breach, its fame spread seamlessly everywhere, including international markets.

The Hate Against Crocs

The shoe’s popularities wasn’t without its downside. It drew the attention of critics like Bill Maher, who publicly mocked the boots. Maxim and Time magazines mentioned the shoes as one of the ugliest objects you’d come across. Newsweek wrote an entire essay against Crocs that successfully polarized the opinion of his readers.

This worked out for the brand because the lousy publicity made people talk and develop a curiosity about the brand. Some people also made it a cultural topic viewing the shoes as an embodiment of a baroque fetishism that the community fees for disharmony and the eccentric. It wasn’t long before Crocs became a statement. 

However, this was a season away from the ugly shoe trend that started with the Balenciaga FW17 collection by Demna Gvasalia. This was a temporal coincidence, but it was the right time for a widespread acceptance of Crocs into the fashion world. Gvasalia took the cue, and within a year, a collaboration between Crocs and Gvasalia led to the creation of the Balenciaga SS18 collection.

Crocs History – Exploring Old and New Markets

Crocs became a fashion thing once Gvasalia launched with Vetements. Even before arrival in stores, Balenciaga recorded the shoes were already sold out. Soon, the trend of ugly shoes followed in the streetwear category. Celebrities jumped on the trend and were soon photographed wearing overalls and slippers. At this point, to be cool, you had to wear ugly shoes like crocs.

It was like the confirmation of Christopher Kane’s policy. Crocs were at an age where the charm of nostalgia was felt. The footwear brand’s surge was because of the irony of fashion. The idea that it was ugly was the most immediate, though, and this worked out in the brand’s favour during the trend. 

The company started to enjoy and successful season of collaboration. In 2018, the footwear brand collaborated with the Alife brand. They also signed Post Malone in the same year, and in January, it collaborated with PLEASURES. In 2018, again, there was a collaboration with Chinatown Market, and collaboration with PizzaSlime transformed this footwear into a cross-body bag. In April 2019, the partnership moved to the Beams and Hender Scheme. The footwear brand continued to collaborate with brands throughout the year.

2020 came, and despite the attempts to stop the brand’s success, it partnered with KFC to unveil its Crocs. In March of the year, a collaboration with PEEPS took place, and one with Beams afterward. All these collaborations only worked together to prove the status of the cultural icon that Crocs is today. It also showcased the brand’s versatility.

Crocs Logo History

One of the most important parts of Croc’s history is its logo, and an original logo was in use from 2002 to 2006. This logo showed a crocodile next to the wordmark emblem. It also featured the phrase ‘Get a Grip’ right next to the emblem. However, in 2007, the company redesigned the logo and moved the crocodile above the wordmark. The wordmark became entirely black, and the company decided to remove the ‘get a grip removal. 

The redesigned logo continues to be used today, although it doesn’t come with the original blue and white colour. The new logo also came with a more contemporary font, and the mascot character of the crocodile ‘Duke’ is more visible. This is because it is available in black and white and doesn’t feature any of the original blue colours. 

When Did Crocs Popularity Begin

Many would argue that it was immediately. Within the first few years, there were mixed responses about Crocs. At the same time, some saw it as a new fashion wave, and some shoes seriously. From getting sold out in one day to appearing at the white house, Crocs enjoyed commercial success almost immediately and then developed popularity over the years. In 2017, there were many commentaries about the brand, which even led to more popularity. Crocs became a fashion icon, leading to even more sales and public sighing of crocs footwear on celebrities. 

In addition to this evident success, the footwear brand made a wise marketing decision. They began collaborating with the top celebrities and brands like Justin Bieber, Diplo, Luke Combs, and KFC. Crocs are even more popular because of their acceptance by Gen Z. They see them as an icon of the generation and a fashion statement. However, this doesn’t mean the brand is famous amongst the younger generation; it is quite a leading choice for the elderly. You could see your favourite shoes on the red carpet. Its appearance on the red carpet sparked conversations about how to style clogs. All of these led to even more popularity for the brand.

Clogs’ popularity is a phenomenon, and the brand shows no sign of slowing down. Although they started as simple, comfortable, and non-slip shoes, it is more of a cultural icon today. Even better is that Crocs shows no sign of slowing down or decreasing popularity. To date, you can find celebrities wearing them. They’re also advertised in different publications and markets worldwide. 

Final Thoughts

Despite being tagged one of the worst things to happen to men in 2007, Crocs have continued to advance in popularity. It’s clear now that nothing stops Crocs because it has remained relevant to date. One of the reasons behind this is that throughout Croc’s history, the footwear has remained the same, offering the same level of comfort. People loved that no matter how often they wore the shoes, it was as if they were wearing nothing. 

Crocs were never meant to capture the fashion world by surprise, but they did. Its road to success was never easy, but Crocs is a clever brand with an impressive marketing strategy. It has also accepted constructive criticism over the years to improve its product. Even if Crocs becomes less popular than many expect, the brand still holds the trademark for Croslite material.