User 76963

Crocs: Successful Brand or Victim of Cheap Imitations?

I live in Honolulu and Crocs are still very popular here. Obviously, the climate and beaches here lend themselves perfectly to Crocs line-up of shoes. My 7 yo daughter has been wearing crocs as her main daily footwear (year round in Hawaii) since she was 5 yo and this is true for many of her friends too. We tried some knock-off copies in the stores (more than once) but she complained they weren't as comfortable as Crocs. For her, it had nothing to do with brand. She is still a little too young to be concerned with brands but I know that will change soon. it's more the parent's that will be brand conscious for their little tikes. Unfortunately, Crocs are so comfortable and because she wears them all the time, my daugther balks at wearing anything else. Even when we go to an event that requires footwear more formal than Crocs, she complains about the "other" sandals (even though they are high quality sandals from Nordstrom).

There's some truth to the fad aspect, but my long thesis for CROX is based on international sales and the fact that Crocs has a real decent shot at becoming a lasting brand that stands for simple, well-designed comfort.