For every one of us smug New Yorkers who wouldn’t be caught dead near a Croc, there are a dozen people who have no problem buying them (in multiple colors, even!) and wearing them while grocery shopping or gardening or checking the mailbox or doing all the things that normal people do. And don’t lie: When you see people wearing Crocs in the security line at the airport, you totally rush to get behind them because you know they’ll be speedy at the scanning machines. Not to mention that anyone who’s ever tried to tie a sneaker on a toddler knows that Crocs are a godsend for parents.
These are the reasons why, after ten years in business, the Colorado-based firm has announced that their full-year revenue will surpass the $1 billion mark for the first time. Despite all the jeering from the fashion industry (or indeed, much of the population), Crocs are getting what surely won’t be their last laugh. So their shoes are funny-looking and come with silly plastic pin-on charms, and people like Mario Batali and Sacha Baron Cohen wear them with white tube socks. But they also serve as an important reminder that some people care more about staying comfortable — and free of foot bacteria — than they do about looking cool.
