Footwear

How Crocs Went From Comfy To Cool as F-ck

From Balenciaga to Bembury, it’s clear that fashion has officially adopted the comfy clog as one of its own. But how did we get here?

5.5K

How Crocs Went From Comfy To Cool as F-ck

From Balenciaga to Bembury, it’s clear that fashion has officially adopted the comfy clog as one of its own. But how did we get here?

Crocs are officially cool as f-ck. For some of us, this seemingly lesser-known fact has actually been true for a few years now, but for others, it’s only just starting to sink in. Yes, there was a time when the trypophobia-inducing silhouettes were reserved only for kitchens and hospitals, but those days? They’re long gone.

Now, the comfy, cozy, slip-on shoes have become a more-than-acceptable counterpart to any outfit and it’s thanks – in part – to some of the biggest names in fashion.

Despite Crocs beginning in 2002, it wasn’t until 2017 that fashion started to experiment. Christopher Kane kicked off the collaboration train in 2016, followed by the release of Balenciaga‘s Platform Crocs the following year. The Demna-led brand began with a bright pink colorway, then opted for a more neutral black iteration a few months later, kicking off a partnership of new colorways and styles that instantly changed fashion’s perception of the not-so-fashionable shoe.

crocs ancuta sarca designer clogs collaboration brown suede

Enter the pandemic. During this time, we watched our love for comfort increase tenfold, paving the way for more ugly-comfy shoes to shine because ultimately, who cares what we’re wearing when we’re in the comfort of our own homes? After all, if you couldn’t see it on a Zoom call, it wasn’t really there.

In that same year, Nicole McLaughlin, a lauded designer and upcycler, chose Crocs for her first-ever collaboration. Leaning into the brand’s traditionally “ugly” aesthetic and giving it a sustainable spin, McLaughlin also teamed up with Crocs for a second time just a few months later. Not long after, names like Bad Bunny and Justin Bieber began jumping on the clog hype, launching their own collaborations that same year.

crocs ancuta sarca designer clogs collaboration brown suede

In 2021, streetwear entered the chat and Palace announced its first collaboration with Crocs, which has since continued to evolve – culminating in three total team-ups. Off the back of that, we saw Salehe Bembury lend his wavy hand to the classic clog silhouette, sparking an official appointment for Bembury as creative director of the Crocs Pollex Clog range, in 2023.

This also paved the way for Crocs to experiment with similar silhouettes outside of its collaborations, resulting in exaggerated platforms and its Mega Crush range, which launched in 2023.

crocs ancuta sarca designer clogs collaboration brown suede

Overall, 2023 was perhaps the brand’s most transformative year, with ongoing collaborations with Balenciaga, Palace and Bembury continuing to soar, introducing new silhouettes and styles alongside new launches with Levi’s, Aries and JJJJound. It was also 2023 that blessed us with one tongue-in-cheek team-up that arguably put Crocs on the map like never before. Teaming up with creative studio MSCHF, the duo unveiled their Big Yellow Boots at Paris Fashion Week, following up with an official campaign starring Paris Hilton.

crocs ancuta sarca designer clogs collaboration brown suede

Off the back of that, another luxury label sought to redefine the public perception of Crocs once and for all: Simone Rocha. Debuting its first collaboration with the household name during London Fashion Week, the glitzy, pearl-encrusted result has now become one of Crocs’ most notable and successful collaborations of all time and one that the brands have continued to revisit. Closing out a pretty transformative year, Crocs experimented with the Western aesthetic trend, debuting a new cowboy boot silhouette alongside tapping up Lil Nas X as a global brand ambassador.

crocs ancuta sarca designer clogs collaboration brown suede

Kicking off 2024 in style, Crocs doubled down on its playful collaborations and nostalgia-driven designs, launching collabs with the likes of Hello Kitty and Spongebob SquarePants, proving that despite its newfound status in the world of fashion, its fun-loving roots will never be lost.

The remainder of the year saw Crocs revisiting its collaboration with Rocha, plus teaming up with emerging footwear designer Ancuta Sarca. Along with its collaborations, Crocs dropped clogs for dogs and continued to experiment with new silhouettes like its Platform Stomp Loafers.

@hypebae The new #crocs ♬ original sound – HYPEBEAST

Essentially, what started out as a comfort-oriented silhouette has since become a blank canvas for brand self-expression, allowing each collaboration to totally reinvent the shoe through new materials, platforms, Jibbitz and colorways. Its rise and success is, in part due to our newfound love of comfort, but also due to a delicate balance of innovative brand collaborations and experimental in-line launches.

That said, whether you’re still a kitchen-only Croc-er, a TV lover or a full-blown Simone Rocha fan girl, there’s a Croc in style for you, and our guess is, they’ll keep ‘em coming.

Read Full Article
Text By
Share this article

What to Read Next

Meta's Third-Party Augmented Reality Filters Are Leaving the Platform for Good
Beauty

Meta's Third-Party Augmented Reality Filters Are Leaving the Platform for Good

Here’s everything you need to know.

Liberty London and adidas Originals' Collaboration Delivers A Drop of Dopamine
Footwear

Liberty London and adidas Originals' Collaboration Delivers A Drop of Dopamine

Featuring reworked styles of the Gazelle Bold, Country OG, Samba OG and Campus 00s for kids.

Mattias Gollin's Team Up With Moon Boot Is Ice Cold
Footwear

Mattias Gollin's Team Up With Moon Boot Is Ice Cold

The “FLAKES” collaboration gives the brand’s Icon silhouette a frosty makeover.

Snif's New "Me" Fragrance Smells Like You, Only Better
Beauty

Snif's New "Me" Fragrance Smells Like You, Only Better

The brand’s founders share their innovative approach to blending scent with your body’s natural chemistry.

TikTok Drops Its First-Ever Beauty Mixtape In Partnership With NYX
Beauty

TikTok Drops Its First-Ever Beauty Mixtape In Partnership With NYX

The “NYXTAPE” features independent artists Snow Tha Product, Zeina Mates, Dina Ayada, 8ae and Ashley Mehta.

Jean Paul Gaultier's New Scents Transport You to a Psychedelic Garden of Eden
Beauty

Jean Paul Gaultier's New Scents Transport You to a Psychedelic Garden of Eden

Alva Claire stars in the brand’s campaign, unveiling the “Le Beau” and “La Belle” Flower Edition fragrances.

Lucila Safdie's "Farewell Princess" Collection Tributes Hollywood's Golden Era
Fashion

Lucila Safdie's "Farewell Princess" Collection Tributes Hollywood's Golden Era

Continuing the designer’s exploration of modern-day girlhood.

Bella Hadid Brings MISS SIXTY Back for SS25
Fashion

Bella Hadid Brings MISS SIXTY Back for SS25

For Y2K lovers everywhere.

Bruna Marquezine On 'Amor da Minha Vida' And Her New Team Up With YSL Beauty
Beauty

Bruna Marquezine On 'Amor da Minha Vida' And Her New Team Up With YSL Beauty

“For me, beauty is about authenticity and confidence.”

Byredo Collaborates With Wei Yijuan to Celebrate the Spirit of Lunar New Year
Beauty

Byredo Collaborates With Wei Yijuan to Celebrate the Spirit of Lunar New Year

“The themes that my work often returns to are human life, emotional connections and nature.”

More ▾
 

Looks like you’re using an ad-blocker

We charge advertisers instead of our readers. Support us by whitelisting our site.

Whitelist Us

How to Whitelist Us

screenshot
  1. Click the AdBlock icon in the browser extension area in the upper right-hand corner.
  2. Under “Pause on this site” click “Always”.
  3. Refresh the page or click the button below to continue.
screenshot
  1. Click the AdBlock Plus icon in the browser extension area in the upper right-hand corner.
  2. Block ads on – This website” switch off the toggle to turn it from blue to gray.
  3. Refresh the page or click the button below to continue.
screenshot
  1. Click the AdBlocker Ultimate icon in the browser extension area in the upper right-hand corner.
  2. Switch off the toggle to turn it from “Enabled on this site” to “Disabled on this site”.
  3. Refresh the page or click the button below to continue.
screenshot
  1. Click the Ghostery icon in the browser extension area in the upper right-hand corner.
  2. Click on the “Ad-Blocking” button at the bottom. It will turn gray and the text above will go from “ON” to “OFF”.
  3. Refresh the page or click the button below to continue.
screenshot
  1. Click the UBlock Origin icon in the browser extension area in the upper right-hand corner.
  2. Click on the large blue power icon at the top.
  3. When it turns gray, click the refresh icon that has appeared next to it or click the button below to continue.
screenshot
  1. Click the icon of the ad-blocker extension installed on your browser.You’ll usually find this icon in the upper right-hand corner of your screen. You may have more than one ad-blocker installed.
  2. Follow the instructions for disabling the ad blocker on the site you’re viewing.You may have to select a menu option or click a button.
  3. Refresh the page or click the button below to continue.