Crocs inarguably set the standard for foam clogs. Once dubbed certified “ugly” shoes, Crocs-coded slip-ons have inspired the footwear shapes of high-fashion labels like Bottega Veneta and Balenciaga — very literally, in the latter case.
So, given Crocs’ clog-related influence, it seems an unlikely contender in the crowded sneaker market.
But Crocs’ recent moves prove are prioritizing sneakers nearly as much as its signature clogs. In fact, Crocs’ footwear output has been getting progressively wilder and, of all things, bonafide Crocs sneakers are at the heart of it.
Crocs announced on November 19 that veteran designer Steven Smith is coming on board as of December 2 as the brand’s head of creative innovation.
Smith is the creative mastermind behind some of sneaker industry’s biggest revelations, especially of the “dad shoe” variety.
He was the lead designer at YEEZY, for instance, and has designed some of New Balance’s most famed silhouettes, including the 574 and the 550. No wonder they call Smith the “Godfather of Dad shoes.” Dude’s got hits.
And while he’s best known for his loadbearing role in the sneaker milieu, Smith also knows his way around a Crocs-esque shoe.
During his tenure with YEEZY, for instance, Smith shook the industry up with the mega-viral YEEZY Foam Runner. Remember the inimitable rubber slip-on that was duped to the ends of the earth? Yeah, that one. And when that shoe shook up the footwear scene, it simultaneously elevated the overall cool factor of clogs.
Smith, perhaps inadvertently, set the stage for his own future career transition. Because who better to fuse foam clogs and the mercurial world of sneaker culture than someone who’s been a pioneer in both?
Truly, tapping a figure in the sneaker space as innovative as Smith signals that Crocs is serious about bolstering its presence in the sneaker world.
And while Smith joining the brand is an undeniable win for Crocs’ sneaker pursuits, the seeds for its laced-up era were planted long before this appointment.
A shift was certainly felt, for instance, when Crocs and Salehe Bembury, a match made in crossover footwear heaven, released the foam-tastic Juniper sneaker. The all-new Crocs shoe is steeped in the lore of Bembury’s red-hot Crocs Pollex clogs, which proved so popular that they earned him a dedicated creative director role at Crocs.
With its tongue, laces, and textural sole, Bembury’s Juniper sneaker represents a stark deviation from Crocs’ standard slip-on clog, one with major implications for Crocs’ stylistic inclinations. It’s also a genuinely cool-looking shoe, unlike anything else out there though with enough Crocs DNA to fit in with its clog brethren.
Don’t get it twisted, though: Crocs can do sneakers by its lonely, as seen with the (admittedly YEEZY-coded) Echo Surge sneaker, adventure-flavored Quick Trail, and very clog-adjacent “Classic Sneaker.“
So, no, Crocs is not new, per se, to the world of sneakers. But having one of the most revered sneaker designers join the team is such a vibe-elevating addition that it feels like we’re being introduced to a brand-new Crocs, one that’s as famous for sneakers as it is for clogs.