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Email Story to a Friend July 1, 2006 Crocs make great strides By JoANNE VIVIANO The Associated Press COLUMBUS, Ohio — It was on a winter trip to Denver that Amanda Walker discovered the funky-looking footwear that would boost her body-care business. The temperature 85 degrees and her feet tired, she was persuaded by locals to try Crocs. She thought the clog-like, rubber-like shoes were hideous but quickly got hooked on their comfort. And, she decided, she just had to carry them at her store, Heavenly Bath, Body & More. The bulky clog with a strap along the heel and holes across the top and around the toes is winning consumers over with its versatility and comfort. Food service and factory workers, hair stylists and hospital personnel buy them for comfort. Boaters and swimmers buy them for function. And some just think they're fun. "It's unbelievable how popular they are," said Walker, who sells an average of 16 pairs of the colorful shoes each week at her store in suburban Cincinnati and said they account for more than half of her business. Advertisement "I've definitely lived off Crocs for a while," she said. "You get a shipment in and 'poof,' they're gone." Crocs, which got its name because the shoes are water-friendly and tough, now lends its cartoon crocodile logo to more than a dozen styles. There are flip flops, slides, a calf-high boot, a hiking shoe and a Mary Jane that's set to hit stores this fall. They come in 20 colors — from chocolate and sea blue to lime and fuchsia — and prices range from about $30 to $60. Tim Kaiser, store manager at the Tradehome Shoe Store in Bismarck, N.D., said he sells to many nurses who say Crocs are more comfortable than $100 walking shoes and easy to sanitize. The shoes are popular with campers because they're easy to slip on and off, said Dustin Sabo, a manager at Sabo's Camping in Columbus. Crocs are "flying off the shelves" there, he said. Crocs Inc., based in Niwot, Colo., reported $24,000 in revenues and sold 1,500 pairs of clogs in 2002, its first year. Last year, the company sold 6 million pairs of shoes and total revenues, including shoes, accessories and clothing, hit $108.6 million, an amount that spokesman Michael Fox said came almost entirely from shoes. In May, Crocs said it expected sales for 2006 to reach $200 million to $205 million. "There's no doubt that they are very, very hot right now," said Michael Wood, vice president of the marketing firm Teenage Research Unlimited. "The key to it is they're comfortable, they're practical and they're fun ... and they're also affordable so you can buy into the trend without making a big investment." Jen Mosher of Tuscaloosa, Ala., said she got her first pair of Crocs in 2002. Mosher, 39, is a University of Alabama microbiology graduate student who's often on her feet in a lab. She now has the original Crocs in nine colors. She cleans them by throwing them in the dishwasher. Scott Bautch, a chiropractor in Wausau, Wis., who sees Crocs on many patients and medical personnel, said the shoe's comfort seems to come from its extra width and soft, supportive arch. Bautch has not done research on the product, but said he's seen patients suffer less stress or pain in the bottom of the foot with Crocs than with other casual shoes. "I have to say it surprised me," he said. Fox said the key to Crocs is the material. They're made of a resin that molds to the foot, is scuff and slip resistant, doesn't absorb odor and can be cleaned with a garden hose. But a challenge for the company is that it has produced a "very one-dimensional product" and must find ways to re-engineer the brand because that product is easily imitated, said Marshal Cohen, chief analyst with The NPD Group Inc., a market research firm. Another hurdle is meeting demand. To fix the problem, the company is increasing production capabilities, Fox said. Crocs recently added a factory in Romania to the six that are in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Italy and China. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Discount Hotel Reservations --> online casinos news Ashley Furniture HomeStore Send Flowers California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Sports Equipment Entertainment Guide --> Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Online Casino Reviews Advertisements Advertisement