The curious case of crocs

The curious case of Crocs' rising popularity

Words: Cam WolfProducer: Bianca Farmakis in partnership with

Crocs emerged onto the retail scene in 2002, after three friends on a sailing trip planned to design a shoe that defied mainstream tastes .

But the controversial clog has since seen a serious uptick in popularity—and a peculiar nod from the fashion world.

Thanks to high-fashion collaborations and a belief in the power of weirdness, the once-maligned clog is now one of the hottest shoes in existence .

At first, Crocs’ signature clogs were uncool, clunky —even evidence of a slovenly person. In short, they were deemed ugly.

“The challenge was—and I'll say it politely—people said, ‘Hey, Crocs isn't for me.’”

- Crocs President, Michelle Poole

However, in a risky bid to change the consensus of the footwear industry, Crocs creators sought to make the shoe a cult item. Shockingly, it worked.

A-list celebrities like Justin Bieber and Post Malone, as well as established designers, even began making their own Crocs.

Crocs began garnering their coveted status, often re-selling at quadruple the price for certain celebrity styles.Since 2019, they have ranked among the top 10 most popular shoe brands in the world.

2020: The company breaks revenue records, clocking over $1.4 billion in profits. 2021: In the first half of the year, Crocs garners $1.1 billion alone, an 80% increase compared to the year prior.

“We didn’t care if people hated us, we were going to take on the haters. People were wearing the brand to make an anti-fashion statement.”

—Crocs President, Michelle Poole