According to global fashion search platform Lyst's 2020 report, Crocs were the eighth most-wanted item, with average monthly searches of 135,000 during the global pandemic. As people sought comfort over fashion to work in at home, Birkenstocks’s Arizona sandals were number two on the list.
In April this year, Crocs reported record online sales. The Guardian reported sales rose 64% and reached £331m "just days after a gold pair of Crocs appeared on the Oscars red carpet, sported by musician Questlove, the show’s musical director.” Crocs' chief executive, Andrew Rees, expects sales for the year to rise 50%, compared to an increase of up to 25% the company predicted in February.
And it’s not just folks stuck at home investing in them, Ariana Grande, Pharrell Williams, and Justin Bieber have all been posted their own designed Crocs on Instagram, as have Romeo Beckham and influencer girlfriend, ‘Mimi Moocher’. And ‘#crocs’ has gained an astounding 1.6 billion views on TikTok. Crocs are now set to focus on marketing campaigns in Asia, the "largest long-term growth opportunity.”
Alongside their rubber counterparts, clogs and mules have hit the summer catwalks this year, with many designers offering their version of the comfortable classic including Hermès, Penelope Chilvers, Celine, and Bottega Veneta. On the high street, Zara has a light fabric buckled clog and Kurt Geiger and Russell & Bromley have created sleeker leather versions. And it looks like the clog trend is going to roll on into AW21 - with designers pairing them with thick socks and A line skirts for the cooler months to come.