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- snobrder218, on 07/16/2009, -5/+84I hope I'm not the only one extremely happy about this. Crocs are the worst products out there. They're ugly as hell and make people look so dumb.
- KingHarvest00, on 07/17/2009, -2/+44I love reading these feel good stories in the morning
- smacksaw, on 07/17/2009, -3/+34I'll tell you how to save Crocs and get people to buy another pair of shoes that will never die:
MAKE THEM NOT BE SO GODDAMNED UGLY.
There, problem solved. - jaycie, on 07/17/2009, -2/+31Good, I hope uggs soon follow.
- dafragsta, on 07/17/2009, -0/+28"Crocs were born of the economic boom. Then the boom times went bust, and Crocs went to the back of the closet." Could these two things really be any less related? Really? The media isn't any trying anymore. Take topical subject one, insert into topical subject two and automagically they have something to do with each other. That's like saying "Leg warmers were born of the economic boom. Then Boom times went bust and leg warmers went to the back of the closet." Really? Crocs are a luxury item that people decided they could no longer afford to maintain so they no longer wear them? How about this: "Crocs were an obvious fad that made people's feet stink, seemed childish and were tacky and people realized them as such."
Which is more expensive; a pair of Crocs or a pair of NIkes ...or any other name brand shoe for that matter? Yeah, obviously weak correlation is obvious. Nike might be hurting because of the economy, but people aren't going to stop buying their shoes. Crocs were a particularly annoying flavor of the month and people realized them as such. Are all journalists ***** hacks now, straining to make weak correlations because there isn't real news? Y'know about the real economy related stuff? This is the Washington Post. - Atario, on 07/17/2009, -2/+19On the other hand, they make a handy and obvious marker for seeing who's dumb.
- holesome, on 07/16/2009, -2/+18One of the fundamental challenges in fixing the economy is the reliance on constant growth as an indicator of success. Obviously the math doesn't support this over long periods, but investors find growth sooooo tempting. So, as companies manage their growth at some point they almost inevitably come under pressure to expand faster... which can and does work well in a lot of circumstances, but obviously if it's the sole guiding principle of the business plan even a slight wobble in the demand can ruin the over-extended.
- ChileanGoD, on 07/17/2009, -2/+15Serves them well. Those ***** left Quebec for no reason other than greed. They left many unemployed.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/business/20suits ...
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2008/04/17 ... - xienze, on 07/17/2009, -0/+13I'm not sure I'd say Crocs were "born of the economic boom". They were just a short-lived fad.
- uberduger, on 07/17/2009, -0/+12They deserved to fail. Their expansion was built on a fad.
If anyone couldn't see that the bubble would eventually burst, they shouldn't be in business! - t-readyroc, on 07/17/2009, -1/+13They still have their place. Gardening. The beach. Why they were ever considered "fashionable" is beyond me, but they're definitely utilitarian.
- Elranzer, on 07/17/2009, -0/+10When I saw people wear Crocs, I've always figured they cost $5 - $10 a pair, due to their material ,and never understood why people complained about the price.
Up until today, I didn't realize they actually go for $30 - $60 a pair.
That is damn expensive for mold-injected plastic. If they want to save their company, they're probably better off selling them for $10 or less, then maybe everyone would buy them for "what-the-hell" reasoning. But $60 makes this a no-deal, even if you actually *like* them. - WhistlinTom, on 07/17/2009, -1/+10What about candle stick makers?
- indyGuy, on 07/17/2009, -0/+9I have no idea what they feel like. I've never worn them :)
- borez, on 07/17/2009, -3/+12Crocs... because every now and then, even the most discerning lady and gentlemen needs to dress like a COMPLETE ***** RETARD!
- smacksaw, on 07/17/2009, -2/+11They didn't really "leave Quebec", they just declared their sovereignty from them.
- badenglishihave, on 07/17/2009, -1/+9The only thing that goes with Crocs is social ostracism.
http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=fa ... - DarkShroud, on 07/17/2009, -0/+7Also drop the price. There is no way the things should cost as much as they do.
- palehorse864, on 07/17/2009, -5/+12My Crocs are one of the best pairs of house slippers I've ever had. Ugly as sin but great for wearing for long periods when you need footwear.
I'm still on the same pair though and they've never needed any repair other than when the button on the strap snapped off and was replaced with a thick piece of cotton string.
It's too bad they can't make them better looking while maintaining the comfort factor. Both my parents have foot problems from standing on their feet for years in various pairs of shoes and surgery for the problems is a hit or miss option. A piece of footwear that is good for your feet and looks good as well would be a boon for anyone in the service or sales industry.
I should also mention how thankful I am to have these (or any firm house slippers) when I'm walking through the house and slam my feet into something that would normally have resulted in a very painful bruised and stubbed toe. I've slammed my toes into things pretty hard with these on and I feel it hit the shoes and my feet, but it only slightly hurts where before I would have fallen over in pain from that hard a hit. - blah247, on 07/17/2009, -0/+7Bakers will still wear them.
- 4AntiStupid, on 07/17/2009, -0/+7The classic problem of excess capacity. If you ever wonder why they just don't ramp up production when the new Wii or other trendy gadget comes out, this is why.
- xienze, on 07/17/2009, -1/+8This is absolutely correct. Companies are obsessed with posting double digit year-over-year revenue gains because, well, investors expect it. The problem, as you pointed out, is that this is utterly unsustainable in the long term. Investing has essentially become a form of legalized gambling and investors are expecting quick profits when really they need to treat it like a long-term INVESTMENT that yields MODEST gains.
- KMye, on 07/17/2009, -0/+6At least in proper legalized gambling, the guy sitting next to you (with 100x your stack) can't affect where the roulette ball falls...
- BottledViolence, on 07/17/2009, -0/+5"Who needs a second pair of Crocs in a recession, particularly when the first pair is holding up just fine?"
Who needs a first pair regardless of the economic climate? - KMye, on 07/17/2009, -0/+5Heh, 'sole' guiding principle...
Anyway, you seem pretty accurate in this case - this isn't a story about the economic downturn as much as it is overzealous expansion and the death of a (***** atrocious) fad...
Just wanted to add that while the constant-, extreme-growth demand is an absolutely real and serious problem for public companies in our economy, misjudged and too-enthusiastic expansion is mistake any business owner/manager can make, whether their company is public or not, and is a mistake that's been made by people throughout history, including long before public companies existed. - cobophers, on 07/17/2009, -0/+5Entropy FTW!
- HeyArnold, on 07/17/2009, -0/+5BREAKING NEWS!:
Fads don't last forever. - richirwin, on 07/17/2009, -0/+4It's amazing that Crocs have lasted this long. I thought it would have died long ago, but they lasted and lasted.
Anybody can get lucky and hit a fad. Dumb luck will get you there. But a company that is well-run can take that and parlay it into something more long-term. Crocs tried some things, but they were all ridiculous. I'm just sorry I didn't short-sell this dog when I wanted to last year. - diggopolous, on 07/17/2009, -0/+4There is nothing wrong with making a bonaza on a fad but I agree that they ignored elasticity of demand.
- localzuk, on 07/17/2009, -0/+4The company forgot one thing - they were a fashion item. There business relied solely (sorry) on a single product! Of course they were going to fail in the long term.
- theOster, on 07/17/2009, -0/+4oh wow. no, i just made that name up. what a coincidence.
- 3rdDay, on 07/17/2009, -4/+8Thank fook. Those things were ugly for the feet.
- MorbenDK, on 07/17/2009, -0/+4worse yet-- you and i read it
- buddamus, on 07/17/2009, -2/+6Good. Crocs are a ***** waste of money anyway
- snagglefoof, on 07/17/2009, -0/+4Maddox says he's the reason they went out of style.
- randomstuff42, on 07/17/2009, -0/+3Umbro makes jerseys for: England, Norway, Glasgow Rangers, Everton and West Ham, among others. Im not sure where the ship "sank", but it is likely the fact that Umbro was (by was, i mean the fact that the company was 80 years old, and had been producing these things all along) diversified that allowed it to stay afloat.
NIke bought Umbro recently. - Sexercise, on 07/17/2009, -0/+3They have come in handy for smashing a bug that's on the wall... but damn shoes, you ugly!
- dafragsta, on 07/17/2009, -0/+3Ordinary shoes are made of canvas or leather though, and you usually wear socks with them. Where does the sweat on the bottom of a pair of crocs go? Aren't they pretty much just rubber? That means that no matter how many holes you put in them, they will still create more heat by not being porous in all the solid parts. If you sit in a chair made of the same material, would your back not eventually be soaked because of the tendency to stick to your skin? What was the Croc butter for?
- humptyz, on 07/17/2009, -2/+5Good riddance. Those shoes are ugly as sin. 10 years from now on VH-1's "I love the 00s" they'll have a mention about those nasty ass Crocs.
- getoffmybridge, on 07/17/2009, -0/+3"They don't even fit"
- DarkShroud, on 07/17/2009, -0/+3For $10 - $15 more you can get a pair of shoes that will last twice as long. I'm talking an "ok" brand like New Balance.
- shrewduser, on 07/17/2009, -1/+4i felt the same way when they were really popular in Australia, years ago, but now i kind of miss them...
did you guys get the ugg boots with mini skirts phase? i miss that phase.... - LilRabbitFooFoo, on 07/17/2009, -4/+7You look like a retard when wearing them.
- OLTP, on 07/17/2009, -0/+3They're still good for walking to and from the pool. But were they ever trendy? Maybe with the kind of people who were never fashionable to begin with.
- palehorse864, on 07/17/2009, -0/+3I could care less if I "look like a retard" at home by myself. I'm not that worried about my image that I have to try to look cool while I'm home alone.
- diggduggjoe, on 07/17/2009, -0/+3It is not like this is a unique event. Kangaroos suffered pretty much the same way. Faddish pocket on overpriced shoe, economy dips, people get smart and the company hits hard times.
- staytrue2yourse, on 07/17/2009, -0/+32,000 jobs lost... How many pairs of Crocs does the world need? Did they really think that the Croc were here to stay?
- Ascus, on 07/17/2009, -0/+3Now that they are out of style, I can wear mine with pride when I am searching for money with my metal detector on the beach.
- zizzybaloobah, on 07/17/2009, -0/+3I should have been more clear - the U.S.A. licensee sank. Stone Manufacturing / Umbro USA was the Amercian licensee for the brand. It has always done well overseas, and in the UK where it was born.
- almayng, on 07/17/2009, -0/+3I completely agree, but there actually something uglier out there... Its a mixture of crocs and uggs, two of the ugliest shoes on the planet.
http://stylefrizz.com/img/crocs-boots-pink.jpg -
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