noticias

The Reincarnation of the Jelly Shoe, With a Designer Flair
August 18, 2009
By JESSICA MICHAULT

PARIS — This summer a number of top designers have made it possible for customers to revisit a summer staple that many thought would forever remain a childhood memory: the plastic sandal.

Brands like Yves Saint Laurent, Givenchy, See by Chloé and Tory Burch have all added plastic footwear to their collections.

Behind this new designer interest in plastic, or jelly, shoes are children’s shoes and the sandal brand Crocs. The clog-shaped Crocs became kids’ summer sandal of choice when they arrived on the scene in 2002 and flourished in the children’s footwear market in a way not seen since the jelly-shoe craze more than 20 years ago. Parents also succumbed to Crocs, and it is not unusual to see whole families taking to the beach in the colorful clogs. More than 100 million of the resin shoes have been sold over the past seven years (although sales have sagged since the onset of the financial crisis). Even though they are not plastic per se, Crocs are seen by many as a modern take on jelly sandals.

“Because of Crocs these molded plastic shoes are now widely accepted footwear, which makes it O.K. for designers to come out with their own styles,” says Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst of NPD, a market research group. This way “they can tap into a market that the brand would generally not be able to reach.”

The advancements in plastics and similar materials during the past 20 years have made it possible not only to mold a shoe to the foot, but to make shoes odor-resistant or perfume-scented. They are also better able to handle friction and sweat, which were a problem in the plastic shoes of the past.

A pioneer in the field is the Brazilian brand Melissa, the designer branch of Grendene shoes, one of the world’s largest plastic shoe companies. For the past 30 years Melissa has worked to produce jelly shoes that have a designer edge. The company has recently created partnerships with designers like Vivienne Westwood, Alexandre Herchcovitch, Isabela Capeto and Karim Rashid.

“I think Melissa has helped a lot to break some existing ‘taboos’ regarding jellies,” says Eduardo Jordão de Magalhães, head of international marketing communications at Melissa. “It’s so interesting for us to see how the fashion world is now catching up with something we have been doing for 30 years.”

The modern versatility of plastic has lead to imaginative shoes in new shapes and colors. These include chunky high-heeled strappy sandals from Sigerson Morrison, Lacoste shoes with a curlicue strap designed with Zaha Hadid, Kartell’s cherry red flats by the Italian designer Normaluisa and Chanel’s translucent black camellia-covered sandals.

The shoes are relatively low-priced for a designer item, with most pairs costing less than $200. The Vivienne Westwood collaboration with Melissa, for example, sells for $132, while the Givenchy plastic gladiator sandal goes for $199.

“Really they are guilt-free purchases,” says Mr. Cohen of NPD. “They are inexpensive fun and affordable in a time when people are thinking twice or even thrice before buying.

” Plastic shoes are also surprisingly eco-friendly. Their environmental impact is generally less than that of their leather and rubber counterparts because they are made of mostly recyclable materials, and can be recycled in turn to create new designs.

“Thirty percent of all Melissa shoes are made of recycled PVC,” says Mr. de Magalhães, adding that the method incorporates “any leftovers from production.” He notes that Grendene has won a number of sustainability awards.

Some companies are taking the plastic-shoes concept into the cold winter months. The Crocs brand, seeing a saturation point for its summer clogs, has already started to expand its offerings with brightly colored clogs and boots topped off with a soft “fuzz” lining.

Copyright 2009
open letter from Robin Akeroyd Managing Director of Crocs Europe
Response to all media with regard to the Washington Post article 16-07-2009
18 July 2009

I am writing in response to all the media that have published new pieces based on the Washington Post article from July 16th 2009. Crocs is a global brand which has constant worldwide media attention. Different media have published the article entitled “Once-Trendy Crocs Could Be on Their Last Legs”. The article painted the picture of Crocs as a product of the economic boom – a one-shoe company – but now is a dead brand. The Washington Post suggests in the article Crocs is going down but this is only an assumption and not based on any new facts.

“(…) we face challenges resulting from rapid growth”, states John Duerden CEO of Crocs. Crocs has taken certain actions to address the challenges it faces (not unique to Crocs in the current economic situation), including a new executive team in both US and Europe, completing the necessary restructuring activities that have started last year and paying down debt. Per end of quarter one in 2009, Crocs has decreased its borrowing by 12% to $19.8 million. The cash and cash equivalents at the end of quarter one 2009 is $50.9 million. Crocs also successfully reduced the inventory position by over 50% over the last year looking at quarter one 2009 results. I am confident that through focused internal efforts as well as deeper working relations with our vast retail base, Crocs will continue to prove that it represents a sustainable proposition within the footwear market.

I would like to highlight that the Crocs brand is sold today in more then 120 countries. We have over 100 million happy feet that are testament to the benefits that Crocs has brought to the global footwear market. We have 120 different styles of sandals, boots, heels, wedges and flats. You can review for yourself on our website www.crocs.eu. Crocs is here to stay and has continually invested in product development which has generated constant demand.

Crocs will continue to innovate with its unique Croslite™ technology and continue to drive the comfort moulded footwear category to produce durable and affordable shoes in a wide variety of styles for men, women and children. This is a good business to be in at a time when families are watching their budgets.

I am confident in the future of our company and appreciate the support of our many loyal customers, retailers, investors and employees around the world.

Robin Akeroyd
Managing Director
Crocs Europe
Store opening
Op 30 september is de zesde Crocs store in Liverpool, Engeland geopend.

De winkel is gesitueerd in het gloednieuwe (170,000 m2) Liverpool One winkelcentrum. Het is het grootste winkelgebied in Europa sinds de reconstructie van de stad na de tweede wereldoorlog.

Het is een perfecte locatie voor Crocs met ruim 160 retailwinkels met onder andere Puma, Urban Outfitters, G-Star, Nike, H&M, Apple, Fred Perry, Pull and Bear, Adidas, American Apparel, een Liverpool FC Store en een John Lewis winkel. Er is ook een biosoop met 14 zalen, meer dan 20 restaurants, een Hilton hotel, parken en 600 chique appartementen.
Natalie en haar team hebben het afgelopen weekend hard gewerkt om de winkel gevuld en aan kant te krijgen en keken uit naar een geweldige openingsdag. Op de openingsdag ging iedereen om de beurt de straat op, met ballonnen en key rings, om bekend te maken dat Crocs gearriveerd was.

Het weer op de dag zelf werkte niet erg mee, het regende en stormde (welkom in Liverpool), maar er waren toch veel lokale mensen en toeristen naar de winkel gekomen om heerlijk warme Mammoth's en Amblers aan te schaffen.

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