Assignment 1-4

Crocs: Pop Culture in Action
Who would have thought crocs would have caught on like they did? Well I certainly didn’t think they would have caught on but I sure wish I had bought some stock in the company. Crocs are a certain type of shoe that is made out of plastic. They have an unusual design and are very comfortable. They have hit the ground running, no pun intended. Crocs are popular because they are comfortable and because they have been able to penetrate such a wide range of audience, from young to old.
On average, women have nineteen pairs of shoes (Marx, 2008). Could this be a reason why Crocs have become such a hit? Yes, women have certainly purchased these shoes, but they are not alone. That might also be a reason why Crocs have become so popular. They are worn by young and old and men and women.
Another sign that shows how popular Crocs have become is that they have to deal with copy-cat products hitting the shelves. In July of 2008, Crocs Inc. filed a lawsuit against Sketchers USA Inc. for copying the style and texture of the original Croc shoes (Lynch, 2008, P. 22). It seems that Sketchers would like to cash in on this market. They might have come a little too late to the party, though.
Pop culture is always changing. What is “in” today is “out” tomorrow. The sales of Crocs have dropped in 2008. “Crocs suffered a net loss of US$4.5 million in the first quarter of 2008, down from net income of $24.9 million in the same period last year” (“Clunky,” 2008, p.18). I didn’t even know that they were becoming less popular until I researched the brand for this assignment. While Crocs might not be experiencing the dramatic growth they enjoyed before, they are very much a part of pop culture.

References

Clunky crocs must face up to the fashion police. (2008). Media: Asia’s Media and
Marketing Newspaper, 18. Retrieved November 16, 2008, from Business Source
Complete database.

Lynch, M. (2008). SKS, crocs in legal battle. FN: Footwear News, 64(28), 22.
Retrieved November 16, 2008, from Business Source Complete database.

Marx, P. (2008). Sole sisters. New Yorker, 84(26), 84-89. Retrieved November 16, 2008,
from Academic Search Complete database.