The plague of Crocs and how even the ugliest of footwear can be wildly popular
If anyone remembers anything about fashion from the previous decade they’re likely to remember the awkwardly shaped and brightly colored foam clogs that consumed the hearts of all people ranging from small town kindergartners to former President of the United States, George W. Bush. While we all have either owned a pair of our own or have a friend who had them, it remains a mystery of how Crocs went from a niche, Colorado market to a worldwide trend worth more than $1 billion.
Original customers based in the Boulder, Colorado area likely opted to wear Crocs for practical purposes; these shoes were ideal for boaters or gardeners who would benefit from light-weight and “no slip” design in their various activities. However, not many would have guessed that pacific northwest gardeners would be the start of such a dramatic fad. The shoes eventually spread around to people in various careers (for example: doctors, nurses, cooks, and painters) that would benefit from the comfortable properties of foam shoes. Eventually these Crocs spread outwards across the country before finally making licensing deals with major companies like Disney and NASCAR that allowed the shoes to appear in the market of nearly all age ranges.
Though the story of the spread of these shoes sounds almost absurd, it actually makes sense considering how information cascades can affect the mindset of group mentality. Though many orthopedics have confirmed that Crocs are not actually beneficial for your feet, the combination of comfort and popularity lead customers to believe that their peers must have had a reason for buying these shoes–in spite of no direct evidence suggesting otherwise and no aesthetic appeal to make them a sought-after and fashion-forward purchase. The connections of people with these shoes moved from a small network of gardeners and boaters that had connections among their activities but few worldwide connections. As the connections slowly made their way to reaching companies like Disney, the network suddenly bloomed. Once Crocs were found in the Disney node they then had the ability to be connected to every person who has any connection to the Disney company (and honestly, who doesn’t connect to Disney in some way? Just think of how quickly Disney can convince people they can’t live without hordes of unnecessary Frozen merchandise.) So the next time you accidentally stumble upon your bright lime green pair of crocs that have been stowed away in the back of your closet for the last eight years, you can now remember exactly why you ever bought a pair in the first place.
Sources:
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/the_highbrow/2007/07/the_croc_epidemic.html
http://www.businessinsider.com/how-crocs-became-popular-2012-1