Your three-year-old wear them.
And now, every celeb has a pair.
How did Crocs get so cool?
But nofootwearhas been met with such polarizing response asCrocs.
(Some, like me, have been on both sides.)
Like them or not, Crocs are an icon of modern fashion.
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But how exactly did these funny-looking shoes reach those monumental heights?
The shoewas constructed out of Croslite, a new throw in of resin that is lightweight and odor-resistant.
(Crocs, get it?)
In 2005,Crocs sold 6 million pairs.
That same year, a woman named Sheri Schmelzer devised a way to customize her childrens shoes.
Though they were taking the footwear industry by storm, Crocs were still very much perceived as ridiculous shoes.
To me and my kitten-heel-and open-toed-platforms-wearing friends, they were a punchline.
Nowadays, celebs like Nicki Minaj, Ariana Grande, and Kendall Jenner all wear Crocs.
Over on TikTok, the hashtag for #crocs has over 9.6B views.
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How did Crocs get cool?
One could say that a series of catalysts led to Crocs being perceived as cool.
Secondly is the designer connection.
According to Thornley, this is essentially the allure of Crocs, and earns them repeat customers.
Semmelhack points to former Versace designer Salehe Bemburys 2021 collaboration as a major standout.
It hasnt always been easy for Crocs.
The difference between then and now are the collaborations, which Thornley calls instrumental in elevating Crocs image.
According to theNY Times,Crocs annual sales shot up 200 percent since 2019.
But they werent the only ugly shoe that saw a rise in sales.
Content creatorTina Estrelladecided to get her first Crocs, an orange pair, strictly as house shoes.
Thats how it started.
This was the gateway drug, she jokes.
I was like, Im just gonna wear them around the house.
And then pretty soon youre wearing them out to the grocery store, youre pairing them with dresses.
A video of Estrellas DIY went viral on TikTok, amassing over half a million views.
I thought they were the ugliest shoes I had ever seen.
My friends and I would send memes about how uncool they were, she says.
Now, Ravel owns three pairs, blinged out with charms that she mostly made herself.
One of Ravels popular jewelry designs is a pair ofbedazzled baby Croc earringsthat she fashioned out of keychains.
Every time Ravel restocks the Crocs earrings, they immediately sell out.
She resisted until she noticed all of her co-workers at a cafe wore them and subsequently pulled the trigger.
I got the classic white Crocs and never looked back, she says.
I havePractical Magic-themed ones that are just waiting to be used on a pair of platform Crocs.
Dont be mistaken, there are still plenty of Crocs haters out there.
Naomi Campbell, Dua Lipa, and Lil Kim are all anti-Crocs (for now).
And Zoe Kravitz managed toconvince Channing Tatumto stop wearing them.
But Crocs do deserve some credit.
Remember, every time a new collab drops, a hater gets their first pair of Crocs.
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