Crocs are cool again?
In lecture, we discussed how people often abandon their own information or opinion to conform and follow the herd, resulting in a herding, or an information cascade, where people make decisions sequentially by watching the actions of earlier people and inferring what they might know. Perhaps one of the clearest examples of this can be observed in fashion trends and the resurgence of certain clothing, shoes, or style that were once considered ugly or ‘cheugy’.
Last year, Crocs made a comeback and saw a 64% increase in its first-quarter sales in 2021 from a year earlier according to The Washington Post. But none of us needed to read a news article to know that Crocs are back in. To cite anecdotal data, I’ve seen more Crocs on campus this year than ever before, often adorned with colorful Jibbitz charms. According to analysts, the resurgence of the clogs come from collaborations with celebrities including Saweetie, SZA, and Post Malone, designers like Balenciaga, and even brands like KFC and mostly recently with 7-Eleven. Crocs are no longer hideous shoes that are only acceptable for toddlers or in very specific situations. After the re-branding, Crocs are now (unironically) cool and socially acceptable despite being the same shoes that no one paid any attention to in the aisles of Walmart just a few years prior.
People have always followed trends. However, with the advent of Tik Tok and Internet culture, the speed at which trends are cycling through are quicker than ever, and there’s seemingly less individuality in people’s personal styles nowadays. Most people want to keep up with the latest trends and will buy shoes that they used to think were ugly because they’ve been persuaded from observing what everyone else is doing (myself included, of course). It’s really a fascinating phenomenon and worth considering before your next purchase.
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/06/03/crocs-pandemic-surge/