The rise of Crocs: Why the once daggy and ‘uncool’ clogs are now adored by thousands

Adored by Gen Z and A-list celebrities alike, Crocs have seen a steep rise in popularity since 2018 after 20 years on the market.

The brand’s Classic Clog were once labelled an ‘ugly’ shoe but over the years the style has slowly transcended into streetstyle and made appearances on runways at Sydney Fashion Week. 

Megan Welch, General Manager Asia Pacific of Crocs, sat down with FEMAIL to discuss why the style has once again risen in popularity among younger generations – and what saved Crocs from extinction. 

To date Crocs have sold more than 850 million pairs of shoes since 2002 and have generated a staggering $2.3billion in annual sales.

Celebrities including Bella Hadid, Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner have also been seen wearing the comfortable clogs. 

Scroll down for video

Crocs were once labelled an ‘ugly’ boat shoe but over the years the style has transcended into streetstyle and made appearance on runways at Sydney Fashion Week

The Classic Clog is now beloved by Gen Z and A-list celebrities alike. To date Crocs have sold more than 850 million pairs of shoes since 2002

Megan Welch (pictured), General Manager Asia Pacific of Crocs, sat down with FEMAIL to discuss why the style has once again risen in popularity among younger generations

The global campaign ‘Come As You Are’, which launched in 2017, focuses on individual expression and has been one of the key factors that helped Crocs transform from an ugly duckling into a swan. 

‘I think [the popularity] is a combination of factors – one being our Classic Clog is the best canvas for self-expression,’ Ms Welch said. 

Using the Jibbitz shoe charms, customers can decorate and style their Crocs how ever they wish.

The brand’s ‘Come As You Are’ campaign that launched in 2017 is one key factor that helped Crocs rise in popularity among Gen Z  

‘Our Jibbitz charms are an accessible form of personalisation that you can change out based on your mood, the season, or if you get new ones – and it allows people to “come as they are” through their Crocs,’ Ms Welch said. 

It’s this authentic message and engaging activity that has helped make the brand ‘cool’ and push it to new heights – with A-list celebrities including Post Malone, G-Flip and Questlove also previously spotted wearing their own Crocs. 

American musician Questlove donned a pair of gold Crocs at the 2021 Oscars red carpet with a black suit. 

Instagram influencer Rowi Singh was also featured on the cover of Vogue India earlier this year donning a pair of Crocs with shorts and a top. 

That being said, there’s no ‘wrong way’ to wearing Crocs and no style ‘rules’. 

Singer Post Malone was spotted wearing black Crocs (pictured, left). Instagram influencer Rowi Singh was also featured on the cover of Vogue India earlier this year donning a pair of Crocs with shorts and a top (pictured, right)

American musician Questlove (pictured) donned a pair of gold Crocs at the 2021 Oscars red carpet with a black suit

‘I think our brand has been polarising since day one and we definitely embrace that, it keeps the conversation going, and it’s really allowed us to connect with consumers,’ Ms Welch said. 

‘Since our collaboration with Christopher Kane in 2017 we’ve had a number of great collaborations where we’ve continued to reinvent ourselves in ways that are unexpected and to bring consumers into the brand that may not have previously considered us. 

‘We’ve been really active in trying to continue to drive that conversation, and I think the product connects with consumers really well.’

Crocs are best styled with jeans, pants, casual outfits and a hat to balance out the chunky shoes. 

Using the Jibbitz shoe charms, customers can decorate and style their Crocs how ever they wish. ‘Our Jibbitz charms are an accessible form of personalisation that you can change out based on your mood, the season, or if you get new ones, and it allows people to “come as they are” through their Crocs,’ Ms Welch said

Crocs are best styled with jeans, pants, casual outfits and a hat to balance out the chunky shoes. To celebrate two decades of Crocs, the brand hosted a two-day event in Sydney on December 7 and 8 (pictured: shoes at Croc Fest 2022) 

To celebrate two decades of Crocs, the brand hosted a two-day event in Sydney on December 7 and 8. 

Crocs Fest invites customers, media and influencers to ‘come as they are’, pick up a pair of Crocs and style them at they wish. 

The event on December 7 went off with a bang with guests flying through the doors from 12pm and the celebration continued until 7pm with DJ performances throughout.

The event on December 7 went off with a bang with guests flying through the doors from 12pm and the celebration continued until 7pm with DJ performances throughout