How Crocs Made A Stylish Comeback

We're switching our branding analysis into sport mode. This week's BL Business Branding newsletter for this issue takes a 180 from our last entry, exploring the successful rebrand of Crocs that transformed the casual clogs into an unexpected fashion icon.

First introduced in 2002 as a boating shoe, Crocs quickly became known for their lightweight-comfortable design, and their polarizing look. While healthcare workers and chefs swore by them, mainstream consumers saw the chunky clogs as unfashionable. Despite an effort to grow its target audience by emphasizing the eco-friendly, practical nature of the design, similar to Birkenstock, new consumers failed to catch on. Despite a few years of growth in the 2010s, Crocs' popularity faded. In 2018, the company announced it was closing all of its manufacturing facilities and 160 of its stores. But rather than fade into obscurity, the company took a different path, opting to rebrand in order to introduce their product to a