Once-Trendy Crocs Could Be on Their Last Legs

[Viva Las Espuelas]

By Ylan Q. Mui (http://projects.washingtonpost.com/staff/articles/ylan+q.+mui/)
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, July 16, 2009

Crocs were born of the economic boom.
The colorful foam clogs appeared in 2002, just as the country was recovering from a recession. Brash and bright, they were a cheap investment (about $30) that felt good and promised to last forever. Former president George W. Bush wore them. Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler wore them. Your grandma wore them. They roared along with the economy, mocked by the fashion world but selling 100 million pairs in seven years.
Then the boom times went bust, and Crocs went to the back of the closet.
The company had expanded to meet demand, but financially pressed customers cut back. Last year the company lost $185.1 million, slashed roughly 2,000 jobs and scrambled to find money to pay down millions in debt. Now it's stuck with a surplus of shoes, and its auditors have wondered if it can stay afloat. It has until the end of September to pay off its debt.
"The company's toast," said Damon Vickers, who manages an investment fund at Nine Points Capital Partners in Seattle. "They're zombie-ish. They're dead and they don't know it."

[JudynTX]

Ban them from the USA!

[SpursStalker]

This is actually news?

:sleep

[JoeChalupa]

Sounds like a load of croc to me.

[mrsmaalox]

Oh no I'd better call and warn my mom! She should probably stock up, I'm not sure she has enough to last the rest of her life.

[I. Hustle]

So who is going to sponsor AVP? Or whatever that beach volleyball stuff is.

[Viva Las Espuelas]

who here has a pair? i don't, but in a weird way i'd like to give them a shot. strictly for home use only

[JoeChalupa]

You can buy them a Wal-Mart for a lot less than $30 but they aren't original Crocs. I always assumed they'd make your feet really stink.

[JudynTX]

Oh no I'd better call and warn my mom! She should probably stock up, I'm not sure she has enough to last the rest of her life.

Does she decorate them too? :lol


who here has a pair? i don't, but in a weird way i'd like to give them a shot. strictly for home use only

NO WAY IN HELL! :vomit:

[Thunder Dan]

I never bought a pair!! I'm awesome

[mrsmaalox]

Does she decorate them too? :lol

Not that I know of. But those rainbow colored ones need no further decoration.

[mookie2001]

those bitches cost 30 bones? wow

you could go to academy and get a pair of sambas for 39.99

[ashbeeigh]

Authentic Crocs are more like $100. I never did jump on that bandwagon. I'm buying Uggs this winter though. My Wal-Mart faux Uggs are on their last legs.

There was a story on this on the Today show.ooohh...found it...http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/31960890#31960890

The founder said they're leaning more towards fashionable Crocs...like sandals and other things. Crocs have some type of orthopedic benefit I guess. So, if you can get that in a cute sandal all the the power to you.

[JoeChalupa]

What the hell are sambas? $40!!

[I. Hustle]

Authentic Crocs are more like $100. I never did jump on that bandwagon. I'm buying Uggs this winter though. My Wal-Mart faux Uggs are on their last legs.

There was a story on this on the Today show.ooohh...found it...http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/31960890#31960890

The founder said they're leaning more towards fashionable Crocs...like sandals and other things. Crocs have some type of orthopedic benefit I guess. So, if you can get that in a cute sandal all the the power to you.

They have some for men that look like regular sandals you would take to the beach or lake and are comfortable as hell.

[JudynTX]

Not that I know of. But those rainbow colored ones need no further decoration.

That's for sure. :lol

[ashbeeigh]

They have some for men that look like regular sandals you would take to the beach or lake and are comfortable as hell.

Yeah. That's what it looks like. I have enough sandals/flip-flops/flats to outfit a small refugee family so I don't need any...but if what they say is true and they're leaning towards the more fashionable side of things it's a good thing.

There will always be a need for the ugly Crocs because people who are on their feet for 25 hours a day like the way they feel and I can't doubt that. So, hearing that they are in a losing battle is sad...but I can't say that I will lose sleep over it.

[mookie2001]

shakes head/

adidas sambas, the worlds first trainers

[G.Q.]

ulcXYjb4eBU

[mrsmaalox]

I just showed my 13 yr old daughter that crocs article and she said, "Oh poor Grammy, she's gonna cry!" :lol

[DarkReign]

I havent stepped inside a designer clothing store in 10 years. No Abercrombie, no Aeropostale...I am probably dating myself because those are the only two I can think of (besides really old shit like Girbeau (sp?) and the other Euro-trash store like Z.Cavaricci).

I havent bought clothes in...shit, I cant even remember. My wife has bought me plenty of clothes but she knows never to ask me about them. If they show up in my closet, fine. Pants better be Levi's and the shirts better be plain. If they have any sort of name on them she knows not to bring them home because I'll just donate them with the tags on.

Materialistic fuckwads and the women who dig them can piss up a rope.

[Viva Las Espuelas]

..... piss up a rope.i've done that. it's fun.

[ashbeeigh]

Materialistic fuckwads and the women who dig them can piss up a rope.

Then telling you I bought a $250 dress last week wouldn't be a good thing would it?


j/k It was originally $250. I got it for $50. But still. Designer. Best day ever.

[easjer]

I've been wearing their wedges, heels and sandals for over a year and they are by far the most comfortable shoes I own. Their non-clog shoes are REALLY cute, long-lasting and relatively inexpensive ($30-$50 range - which, for as much wear as I've gotten out of my black wedges is a great deal). I will cry and buy as many pairs as possible if they go out of business.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Thank God. Crocs are fucking ugly.

[Dex]

I havent stepped inside a designer clothing store in 10 years. No Abercrombie, no Aeropostale...I am probably dating myself because those are the only two I can think of (besides really old shit like Girbeau (sp?) and the other Euro-trash store like Z.Cavaricci).

I havent bought clothes in...shit, I cant even remember. My wife has bought me plenty of clothes but she knows never to ask me about them. If they show up in my closet, fine. Pants better be Levi's and the shirts better be plain. If they have any sort of name on them she knows not to bring them home because I'll just donate them with the tags on.

Materialistic fuckwads and the women who dig them can piss up a rope.

:lmao Plus frickin' one. I'll buy nice clothes if I get a good deal on them, but spending full MSRP on designer clothes always seemed like wasted money to me.

When I used to work at Academy back in school, I was astounded at the amount of people who come to the checkout with $100-$300 worth of Nike, Adidas, and Underarmour clothes to WORK OUT IN. We're not talkin' about a nice suit, or jacket, or pair of shoes. We're talking about clothes that are going to get dirty and sweaty and thrown in the hamper.

But, you know, gotta look sharp when you go up to that there gym. :rolleyes

[DarkReign]

Oh yeah, dont get me wrong, my wife (and women in general) buys a lot of designer shit and spends oodles of time doing so.

But when I see men being trendy (not boys, not teenagers, men), I laugh out loud. I couldnt show up to any family function dressed like these metrosexuals. I'd get beat up, laughed at or both.

Besides, my money is much better spent elsewhere. Namely, on goods with longterm value or entertainment. If clothes make you "feel" better, youre doing things all wrong. Working out makes you feel better, getting your teeth whitened can make a person feel better...nice clothes?!

Really? Youre that shallow and dull? Again, women excluded...its a gender thing, I guess. Guys should work for a living, guys should be able to fix the lawnmower, guys should be able to get on the roof without a ladder...how you going to do that in your $200 shirt?

[Viva Las Espuelas]

Oh yeah, dont get me wrong, my wife (and women in general) buys a lot of designer shit and spends oodles of time doing so.

But when I see men being trendy (not boys, not teenagers, men), I laugh out loud. I couldnt show up to any family function dressed like these metrosexuals. I'd get beat up, laughed at or both.

Besides, my money is much better spent elsewhere. Namely, on goods with longterm value or entertainment. If clothes make you "feel" better, youre doing things all wrong. Working out makes you feel better, getting your teeth whitened can make a person feel better...nice clothes?!

Really? Youre that shallow and dull? Again, women excluded...its a gender thing, I guess. Guys should work for a living, guys should be able to fix the lawnmower, guys should be able to get on the roof without a ladder...how you going to do that in your $200 shirt?

i guess you don't have an ed hardy shirt......

:lmao

i always think "douche" whenever i see someone wear those.

[DarkReign]

When I used to work at Academy back in school, I was astounded at the amount of people who come to the checkout with $100-$300 worth of Nike, Adidas, and Underarmour clothes to WORK OUT IN. We're not talkin' about a nice suit, or jacket, or pair of shoes. We're talking about clothes that are going to get dirty and sweaty and thrown in the hamper

OMG, shoes! I'll never understand this phenomenon with expensive shoes.

General rant here, not aimed at anyone in particular...

A) Unless we're talking about workboots (you know, for actual work, not Timberlands so you can keep them untied and the tongue pulled out because youre a "G"), shoes arent meant to last forever. Actually, since youre a man of such discerning taste, I am quite sure no pair of shoes are ever kept clean of wrinkles, lines and dirt long enough for your asthetic pleasure anyway. Why spend hundreds of dollars on something that might last 6 months. So you can look cool and be socially accepted amongst your other Rodeo drive wanna-be douchebags? Bet you all have the same phone, too, eh? Say words like "dog" and "bro".

B) They. Are. Fucking. Shoes. Theyre meant to wear out. Spend under $50 (thats high for me for non-dress shoes, but whatever) and beat the ever-loving shit out of them. They cost less, last the same amount of time, look the same (unless you and your dork friends make it a habit to talk about your designer clothes...no one can halp you then, youre flawed, misguided douchebag) and are easily replaced.

C) Men who own too many shoes. Amazing really. I have a fashion sense, I know how to match clothes and how to look good. I have 3 pairs of non-dress shoes. One black, one white, one brown (obviously dependant on belt). If you include my dress shoes, I have 5 (1 black, 1 brown depending on the suit I am wearing). I routinely see men with 20 fucking pairs of shoes. Youre a girl. A very ugly, flat-chested girl. Are you going to wear make-up when that becomes socially acceptable, too?

I could go on...basically forever. Especially for people with no jobs (lots of those here in Michigan)...still have an iPhone, still shopping at Wherever-the-Fuck and Company. I have money, I just choose not to spend it on frivolous items to try and impress complete fucking strangers I probably wouldnt piss on if they were on fire anyway!

Priorities, man. Priorities. Saving money trumps spending money on designer clothes every fucking time. I could win the lotto tomorrow and in 5 years, I'll be in Levi's and a plain shirt still not trying to impress all the wrong people for all the wrong reasons.

[DarkReign]

i guess you don't have an ed hardy shirt......

:lmao

i always think "douche" whenever i see someone wear those.

I am not going to play dumb and ask "Who the fuck is Ed Hardy?" because I can kind of assume its a designer clothes thing, right?

Yeah...no.

[Viva Las Espuelas]

I am not going to play dumb and ask "Who the fuck is Ed Hardy?" because I can kind of assume its a designer clothes thing, right?

Yeah...no.

http://www.stylerocket.com/ed-hardy-t-shirts.html

[CuckingFunt]

Buying expensive clothes because they're made well, fit right, and will last a long time is just smart.

Buying expensive clothes because there's a big name or logo across the front of an otherwise plain t-shirt is stupid and douchey.

Same with shoes.

Can't discount the quality argument, though.

[JoeChalupa]

I'm with DR on this one. I hear the quality/price argument all the time and it does make sense for some things and most of the times name brands are more expensive is because you are paying for the name and all their ads that got you to buy it.
But there are some things that I, yes me, will pay more for.

[Southwest Texas Fan]

You can buy them a Wal-Mart for a lot less than $30 but they aren't original Crocs. I always assumed they'd make your feet really stink.

I have a pair of Nike and they are comfortable as hell and my feet do not stink. Really good investment.

[JoeChalupa]

I have a pair of Nike and they are comfortable as hell and my feet do not stink. Really good investment.

I'm sure they are but I just don't like the style and won't wear them. I have very comfortable shoes without having to wear croc looking shoes. :lol

[ashbeeigh]

Buying expensive clothes because they're made well, fit right, and will last a long time is just smart.

Buying expensive clothes because there's a big name or logo across the front of an otherwise plain t-shirt is stupid and douchey.

Same with shoes.

Can't discount the quality argument, though.

I emphasize this over and over again when I'm writing my blog. Since it's the luxury section I sometimes find it hard to go on and on and on about clothes that people just don't need. Who's going to spend $1,500 on a cardigan? Really? But, if it's classic, going to go for a few seasons and it cute, splurge for it. But a pair of rocker boots or skin tight jeans for $500 negative. That will not endorse. Unless you have the money to spend..and always will.

Good shoes, are good shoes. Have you all that are saying spending a lot of money on shoes had bad blisters before? Or had to wear heels? Good shoes will save your life. Spending $75-100 on good work heels will save you in the long run over spending $25. You'll spend more caring for your hurt feet then you will on your shoes.

[JoeChalupa]

Thank God I don't wear heels.

[JoeChalupa]

Back when I was a runner though I did dish out the bucks for good running shoes.

[DarkReign]

Back when I was a runner though I did dish out the bucks for good running shoes.

Totally different. Totally different.

I begrudge no athlete, male or female, spending whatever amount of money on equipment that makes them "feel" better in their ability to perform. Youre competing.

Going to the bar is not a competition in the same vane.

[DarkReign]

Good shoes, are good shoes. Have you all that are saying spending a lot of money on shoes had bad blisters before? Or had to wear heels? Good shoes will save your life. Spending $75-100 on good work heels will save you in the long run over spending $25. You'll spend more caring for your hurt feet then you will on your shoes.

Cmon, you know what I meant...if a person gets blisters from their shoes/heels/pumps, I understand spending the extra cheese to prevent that. I'd never say otherwise.

Especially for females. I excluded said group upon first rant. For girls, this entire argument almost doesnt apply (within reason).

I am talking about guys. You know....that guy at the bar in designer pants, shoes, shirt, belt, watch and sunglasses that are combed into his gel-ed hair. THAT guy.

...seems to be more of them lately, too.

[ashbeeigh]

nevermind. I sounded like a bitch.

[JoeChalupa]

Totally different. Totally different.

I begrudge no athlete, male or female, spending whatever amount of money on equipment that makes them "feel" better in their ability to perform. Youre competing.

Going to the bar is not a competition in the same vane.

I concur. I don't get spending $150 on a pair of Jordans just to walk around in.

[JoeChalupa]

^ :lol

[blizz]

i have 2 pair but just recently bought some and they are comfy as hell and they are NOT $100, that's stupid..they're $30.

[Bender]

I pretty much second DarkReign's rant. Except for the Levi's part. Levi is an anti-gun corp and they donate lots of money to that cause.

you would have to drag me kicking and screaming into one of those designer stores.

[EricB]

Shame I like crocs.

[SonOfAGun]

those cheap crocs are good at the coast when you don't want to mess with barefoot or uncomfortable wading boots

[Strike]

This is actually news?

:sleep

Once again, I agree with this. WTF?

Those things are ugly as shit and should all be thrown in to a wood chipper. That is, if they were even worthy of being thrown in to a wood chipper.

[Udokafan05]

Crocs are best shoe i ever bought. I got a pair of the spurs ones and love them.

[Frenzy]

i don't know whats worse... the croc or the gladiator sandals.

[holcs50]

My prayers have finally been answered. Ever since I went to Europe two summers ago I cursed those fuckin things. And since that trip whenever I see someone wearing them I look at them like I want to beat their ass, force them off their feet and burn the damn things. Oh i hate them, lol, ok i need to settle down. But I really do hate them, get some regular fuckin sandals for god sake.

Oh and by sandals i don't mean tevas or birkenstalks (sp?) or any others with all these straps. Some regular sandals you slip on and off with ease. Reefs, rainbows, and countless other beach brands.

[2Blonde]

Authentic Crocs are more like $100. I never did jump on that bandwagon. I'm buying Uggs this winter though. My Wal-Mart faux Uggs are on their last legs.

There was a story on this on the Today show.ooohh...found it...http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/31960890#31960890

The founder said they're leaning more towards fashionable Crocs...like sandals and other things. Crocs have some type of orthopedic benefit I guess. So, if you can get that in a cute sandal all the the power to you.
I actually just bought a pair of the sandals last week at the Potomac Mills Outlet store. The regular clogs are ugly as crap but the sandals are okay. They just look pretty much like a pair of flip flops, but way more comfortable.

[Fpoonsie]

Thank Christ! Hopefully those ridiculous "Heelys" (fucking shoes with wheels on 'em) are next in line.

[marini martini]

Guys should work for a living, guys should be able to fix the lawnmower, guys should be able to get on the roof without a ladder...how you going to do that in your $200 shirt?

Huh???

[Fpoonsie]

Huh???

You didn't know REAL men could fly, marini?

[DarkReign]

Huh???

It was kind of a weird thing to say/write. But I come from a family of construction related occupations (father = electrician, borthers = heating and cooling, cousin = roofer/carpenter, uncle = electrician, other uncle = electrician, etc).

All of us can get on the roof of near any house without a ladder (helps a lot, you;d be surprised). Kind of a dumb thing to say, now that I think about it. Yeah....it is dumb. nuff said

[DarkReign]

Except for the Levi's part. Levi is an anti-gun corp and they donate lots of money to that cause.

Didnt know that. That kind of sucks...its the only jeans I like, I think. Wife brings new clothes all the time, I dont stop to check the tag, but she knows my threshold in money spent on clothes for me.

[Bender]

I used to only wear Levis, and also some Dockers (at work). After I found out about their cause, I changed to other jeans for home, and Haggar and others for work. It's a small "protest" but it makes me happy.

[DarkReign]

You didn't know REAL men could fly, marini?

Its called climbing. Tough thing to do when youre worried about your new shirt from...wherever (cant even name a name-brand from this past decade).

Nope, got one. A&F.

Your pretty, lotioned hands tend to get scratched, too. Its crazy. You might even scuff your pre-torn jeans, too.

....

One of the better pictures of my father, who was a man's man through-and-through, was when he had us boys (i am one of 3 boys) dig the new septic tank up north at the family cottage.

We did a lot of digging as kids. Ive been working an hourly wage for my father since I was 5. I had my first job when I was 11 as a dishwasher at an Italian restaurant.

When youre that young, most jobs were just labor intensive and required litte skill. Things like goon-spooning (cleaning off the old roof with a serated shovel), trench digging (sprinkler systems, wire-ways, plumbing runs, etc), well-pounding (well water systems require a very deep pipe pounded in 10 ft sections, its done with a very heavy weight that requires two guys lifting and releasing, thereby "pounding" the pipe deeper) and general digging.

Ive dug more trenches before I was 12 then most people will in their lives. Ive dug more holes for well-water pumps, tile fields and septic tanks than I care to remember. Ive cleaned more roofs with a shovel and then had to pick up the shit leftover on the ground, hauled more shingles on my shoulder up a 12 foot ladder and laid more tar and wire before the age of 15 then most Home Depot douchebags could find DYI books to describe it.

My brother, my friend and myself dug an entire foundation by hand. It was an old house my dad bought for rennovation to sell. It wasnt up to code, it needed a block foundation and the house lacked one completely. My father jacked the house up on hydraulic jacks at 6 corners of the house. He then put us boys to work by shoveling clay into 5 gallon buckets, then hauling said bucket out a 2ft hole in the crawl-space. Bucket by mother-fucking bucket, we dug the entire foundation for a 1000sq ft ranch, 4 ft deep.

Anyway, best picture of my father...

We just dug the hole around the "shit pipe" that connected the house to the septic tank. About a 5'x5'x5' hole. He cut the pipe away as the tank was moving. Problem is, the pipe was "clogged" and needed to be cleared.

You can do that multiple ways...Draino not being one of them. You can run a 3/8" snake up the pipe and fish around for...shit, hours...before you ever loosen the jam. Or, you can run arm up the 6" pipe and pull the (literal) shit out.

So here's my dad, shoulder deep in a shit pipe with his left arm, eating a ham sandwich with his right hand. Dude was hungry, but light was running out. My stepmother took a picture. Nothing, and I mean nothing, could explain what kind of man he was better than that picture.

Work first. Work hard. Dont be a pussy.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

roflrofl
crocs

people are dumb

[DarkReign]

roflrofl
crocs

people are dumb

You know, I wasted umpteen posts trying to say what you said in 3 incomplete sentences.

I am humbled.

[mouse]

Sounds like a load of croc to me.


Dude switch to your Henny Yougman screen before you do any more material! :tu