Crocs Inc. lives to fight another day

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Much maligned among the style conscious, Crocs Inc. was facing closure in 2009 after a prolonged period of poor sales.

CEO John McCarvel gave the directive that the brand had to be saved, which led to the development of new Crocs shoes including more conventional boat shoes, flats and wedges. The new lines now account for 54 per cent of Crocs sales.

The recasting of Crocs as a shoe seller offering more than its signature clog was one of the company’s biggest challenges.

“I think this is our biggest challenge as a brand today,” McCarvel told CNN, “getting people to take a look at us in a different way.”

It appears as though Crocs’ push to evolve was a success, with the new styles contributing to the brand’s $150 million profit in 2011.

Despite the historically daggy status of the original foam clog, plenty of celebs are fans of the shoes. Jack Nicholson, Lawrence Fishbourne and Steve Tyler have all been photographed putting comfort before fashion.

Crocs Inc., founded by friends Scott Seamans, Lyndon "Duke" Hanson, and George Boedecker, Jr, unveiled its first foam show in 2002.

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