Crocs blew up in the mid-2000s, then got mocked relentlessly for being ugly, and the stock actually crashed around 2008 after they expanded way too aggressively and got stuck with a ton of unsold inventory. a lot of people assumed the brand was basically done. but they restructured, cut costs hard, and then had a genuine comeback in the 2010s and 2020s through celebrity collabs and the Jibbitz charms letting people customize them. now it's a billion dollar company again and the ugly shoe thing became part of the appeal instead of a problem.
film_fan92 did they actually almost go bankrupt or is that exaggerated?
emily_watts not bankrupt exactly but the stock cratered hard and there were real doubts about the company surviving long term
I resisted for like 15 years and then bought a pair last year, they're just really comfortable, I get it now
the jibbitz charms thing was honestly genius, turned a joke shoe into a whole customization hobby
the balenciaga collab crocs selling for like 1000 dollars still breaks my brain a little