A Chip Off the Old Croc: The Ugly Shoe Is Back

The shoes that polarized a nation are being polished up for a comeback. In 2007, Crocs clogs—the brightly-colored, hole-filled footwear—were both widely worn and wildly derided across the U.S. As quickly as they filled the shoe racks of Americans everywhere, and inspired hateful websites and scornful media takedowns, they seemed to disappear.

Company leaders now hope to bring classic Crocs back. Following the shoes' initial popularity surge, Crocs expanded into all sorts of footwear—from d'Orsay-cut flats to high-heeled pumps—in a bid to go upscale. By 2013, then-Chief Executive John McCarvel's strategy used the clog only as bait: The shoes were relegated to the back of stores, so that shoppers would see Crocs' other products first. Crocs catalogs were filled with new styles and didn't tout clogs until the end.