Why are Crocs so popular? Durability, strength, design, or what?

Crocs have been gaining immense popularity for over a decade now.

I remember the 2007 summer, during my fifth semester of engineering when my friend brought my attention to one of the rich kid’s footwear, saying: “I too wanna own a pair of these. Maybe when I get a job.”

And I was wondering,

What even are Crocs? And why are they so popular?

The piece of footwear that I saw that day seemed pretty strange.

The slipper with big holes, big soles, and whatnot!

I let it slip that day without paying much attention.

However, words once heard had to ring me back at some point in time. Cut to 2013, after growing to a certain point in my career, I decided to uplift my lifestyle; a little bit. And that’s when I got my first pair of classic white Clogs.

Super shiny, super clean, super white, and super strong- this pair is still with me, and I wear it every now and then. But what made me go for it? And what made me stick around?

Well, to make it easier to understand, I’ll walk you through how Crocs rose to popularity year after year. Let’s find out.

The humblest of beginnings

Crocs was born out of the desire to create a practical and comfortable shoe. Early on, they were marketed as boating shoes using a revolutionary material named Croslite.

This was a foam resin that provides cushioning, support, and odor resistance. Plus, it is known for its exceptional durability and shape retention—qualities you can start enjoying from Day 1.

Let me tell you, I put my Clogs in the washing machine once, thinking it has been 5 years, if it kills them, it kills them. GUESS WHAT- they came back new shiny & ready for their part 2.

So, why are Crocs popular?

Crocs are popular for their ergonomic design, lightweight material, unmatched durability, and amazing ventilation, which provides all-around comfort and protection to your feet, while also matching 90% of the outfits (yes, that can be subjective).

So, this isn’t a brand name that manufactures slippers for your day, noon, and night.

The footwear that Crocs makes is built to withstand the worst treatment you can imagine for footwear.

From puddles to rocky roads, from dusty afternoons to rainy evenings, from the toughest, roughest walks to the comfortable cycling sessions, a Croc can be with you through all the thick and thin.

In fact, sharing my personal experience- while wearing my Literide, many times I stumbled upon sharp stones, and wildly rubbed the top of my slip-ons against a sharp nail or plate, thinking, I’ve lost them. But, to my surprise, they didn’t gather a scratch. Again, all thanks to their:

Ergonomic design

Crocs have been designed to fit snugly but comfortably, with a roomy toe box that allows natural foot movement. Also, the soles are thick enough to absorb shock and flexible enough to support your natural walking pattern.

Additionally, their wide range of models and the ability to customize them with Jibbitz charms allow you to freely express your personality through your footwear.

In fact, I enjoy it so much- totally in love with my “gamer” and “Cute Spaceship” kibbitz, while my favorite is the “Star”- yes, I have more than 10 charms that I use on my White Clogs and honestly, I can’t get enough of them.

Let me show you 🙂

They are lightweight

One of the standout features of Crocs is their lightweight construction. This makes them ideal for all-day wear.

Here, I have a story to share.

The last month I visited, Guwahati, Assam, India with only two pairs of footwear—one was my regular Puma sportshoes, and the other one was my Echo Clog Crocs. To make the flight easier, I wore my Clogs to the airport and flew with them.

After changing two flights and traveling for nearly 40 hours, I landed in India, and guess what, these babies saved my feet from itching, discomfort, and tightness. As these are easy to put on and take off, I could comfortably wear or unwear them during the flight.

Plus, their lightweight ensured I didn’t have to drag my feet to walk.

It was due to this comfort in the ultimate hour of the test, that I realized that I wanted to wear them for most parts of my trip.

So, for my long walks by the Brahmaputra and my waterfall experiences in Chikmanglur, I used my Crocs to the fullest and I couldn’t be more grateful for this pair of footwear.

Built like a tank

Here’s what I love the most about Crocs—they don’t die!

And I am not exaggerating. They are indeed among the strongest and most durable pieces of footwear you may ever come across.

As I mentioned above, I have had my white Classic Clogs since 2013 and they have run with me, walked with me, climbed thousands of stairs with me, battled mud, puddles, rocks, and stones with me, and still, I only need to give them a good soapy shower and they start looking almost new.

So, whether you speak of comfort or lifespan, Crocs outperforms most of its competitors.

However, you may want to note one thing: if you use the same pair of Crocs for everything, every day, their soles may start getting distressed, also losing some grip lines. (I have attached an image for reference.)

Ventilation & breathability 

One of the primary reasons I didn’t want to take off my Crocs on my trip to India last month was the way they let your feet breathe.

With a bunch of holes across the surface, Crocs create great room for ventilation and breathability.

So, whether it’s a sunny day or moist weather, your feet can continue feeling as comfortable and airy as possible.

This also helps keep the feet cool & dry during extended walks.

Example:

Here’s an interesting incident: I always prefer driving in my Crocs. This allows my feet to stay fresh for long hours. Plus, if and when my feet start getting a little sweaty, I can immediately turn the AC fan towards my feet and enjoy the cool air through the holes in them.

This always makes driving a breeze for me and my dad (he can’t get over the fact that driving on long road trips has become this easy). No wonder, I can’t think of a better travel footwear.

Super versatile

I was amazed by the versatility of my Crocs when I wore them to a music festival in Boston.

Despite the long hours of standing and dancing, my feet didn’t feel any burden. In fact, I could not care less about the footwear I was wearing. I recalled this experience a couple of months later while a friend came asking for a review.

I must also bring to your knowledge that their easy-to-clean material meant that I could enjoy the event to the fullest without worrying much about dirt and/or spills. (Yes, it only takes a soapy shower and a few rubs to clean them).

It was at that moment that I realized that Crocs weren’t just shoes, they were a statement piece signifying comfort and ease. 

Can be worn in a variety of settings

I told you I wore my blue Literide pair to my brother’s wedding reception, right? Well, my family wasn’t much pleased and I wouldn’t encourage you to disappoint your family. However, speaking of my comfort and design preferences, I loved doing this.

It was a pair of grey trousers with a blue shirt that I carried my Blue Literides with.

And that’s just one example. Apart from that, I have also worn my Clogs while playing backyard Football and Basketball, and have never been disappointed. While Crocs aren’t built for hardcore running, they still allow you to be mobile when required.

Nothing beats their durability

Trivia time- did you know Crocs almost went bankrupt for their durability?

The company launched its first edition in the year 2002, making a sale of $24,000 at a Boat Show. The sales reached a million dollars in the second year, reaching up to $1000,000,000 over the next two years. So, 2005 was a good year for the brand.

As a result, a huge bunch of people were wearing Crocs on a daily basis and their sales shot up to over $800,000,000 in 2007—big numbers for a new brand!

But, their success till here was short-lived for two reasons.

First being, 2008 was the recession year.

Second- since its launch in the year 2002, the brand had not brought out many variants. Their shoes looked pretty much the same across the years!

As a result, in 2008, people didn’t have a reason to buy another pair, since their older Clogs were going strong (even seven to eight years are not enough to kill a pair of Crocs).

In a way, that’s a great advantage of buying the Crocs. However, these shoes were too good to be bought again, resulting in a significant fall in sales. In 2008 and 2009, the brand’s sales fell down by over 12% each year.

Fortunately, soon they brought out newer designs and recovered their losses.

What Martin thinks!

Often termed as ugly or unconventionally attractive, to me, Crocs are more than just a pair of shoes. As a busy father, a chemical plant engineer, a part-time sports enthusiast, and someone who loves to travel, I mostly prefer these over other pairs of slippers.

Whether I’m driving in the hot weather, taking my family to the beach, looking after my kids at home, or running errands between supermarkets and my residence, Crocs make everything simpler, comfortable, and effortless (especially because they are too light for you to remember you are wearing something and too tough to bother where you are planting your feet).

Apart from that, most of my friends or their partners and parents have at least one pair of Crocs that they’ve been wearing regularly for over two years. I myself have three pairs, and I have only once seen a Literide taking damage.

Not to lie, that shook my confidence, and I was skeptical before buying my next pair. But, I couldn’t help getting attracted to the black Echo Clogs in the picture above. So, I talked to the salesperson at the store.

According to him, there was a batch of Literides that wasn’t as strong as the brand’s other shoes, and hence, it was discontinued. Then he reassured me that, if in the next year, my Echo Clogs broke like that, he would issue me a full refund. Now, I know there was no guarantee that he would help me like that. However, the confidence he showed helped me feel confident. So, I got these babies, and fifteen months later, they are among my go-to slip-ons.

Frequently Asked Questions

Got some questions? I’m glad you asked.

1. Are Crocs worth the price?

While you may get a bunch of cheaper footwear options that may look like Crocs, they may not be as comfortable and durable as the OGs.

Speaking of whether they are worth the price, the lifespan of Crocs may range between seven to eight years and may as well go up to twelve to fifteen years. So, spending between $20 to $90 on a pair of shoes that may walk years with you definitely sounds like a good deal.

2. How to clean Crocs?

This was the first question I asked the salesperson when I walked into the store for the first time. And I received a very simple, yet effective answer.

“If you don’t work on a farm or play football with your Crocs, don’t bother so much about cleaning them. Simply wear them while taking a shower and give them easy rubs with your feet, hands, or a brush at the most.”

However, this works best when you repeat this at least once in two to three days. But, if that’s not the case, you can use soap water, and an old toothbrush to clean them whenever you like.

• Pour water on your Crocs and make them all wet.
• Apply soap thoroughly on your Crocs.
• Now, rub with your hands or an old toothbrush.
• Rinse thoroughly with water and rub any areas that are still dirty.
• Leave to dry (preferably under a fan).

And your Crocs will be all new to use.

3. How long do Crocs live?

Crocs founders earlier claimed that the name was inspired by Crocodiles—primarily because these are strong, tough, and long-living.

Now, different species of Crocodiles may usually live up to 35-75 years. While nobody has tested the Crocs for such a long period of time (of course, they came out in 2002), Crocs still live a long life compared to most alternatives.

With regular wear, your Crocs can easily be with you for three to five years. Or if you take good care of them and be a little polite when they’re aging, they may live up to seven, eight, or even ten years. However, I read someone on Reddit, claiming to be using the same pair of Crocs for the past fifteen years (and, I’m not surprised).

4. How much do Crocs cost?

While Crocs are unmatchably durable, come in a variety of styles, and colors, and are super comfortable, their pricing structures are still humble.

To start with, you may get a pair of Crocs for as low as $25, with the expensive pairs costing you somewhere between $100 and $150.

5. Do you wear socks with Crocs?

HMMM! So, you are looking to wear socks with your Crocs. Interesting!

In my opinion, it’s a great idea. In fact, 4/10 times I wear my classic whites, I wear a pair of no-show socks with them—especially while going for long walks. This helps keep my feet clean (yes, your feet can get dirty when you walk in your Crocs—just like with any other slippers) and safe from gravels of all kinds.

So, yes, if keeping your feet safe from dirt, debris, and tiny gravels is your priority, you can try wearing socks with Crocs. And if it feels good, then Congratulations—you’ve just unlocked a new level of comfort.