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Crocs in Zihua

by Michel Janicot

No: This is not another natural history article about cocodrilos, but rather about the latest footwear fashion, the Crocs, based on an Italian design. The story of this amazing product began in 2002 when three Boulder, Colorado-based entrepreneurs decided to market an unusual shoe developed and manufactured by Foam Creations, Inc., a Canadian company.

Crocs were first introduced in 2003 as a boating shoe, a light weight slip-proof clog punctured with holes to let water drain from them. “Not surprisingly, they’re named for the crocodile, which is tough, long-lived and equally adept in water and on land,” says one of the creators,. “When the shoe is viewed from the side it slopes up like a crocodile’s snout.” (On of our Mexican friends told us the shoe “reminds me of a 1950s-black and white Japanese science fiction film scene of a flying saucer.”)

Crocs are made from a material called Croslite, which is neither plastic nor rubber, but a closed-cell resin. Crocs are also microbial, thus resistant to bacteria that cause foot odor. Weighting a mere six ounces, Crocs can be worn as a slip-on clog or can be rolled forward with an ankle strap that features a distinctive grinning crocodile logo.

Crocs are a favorite of physicians, nurses, campers, athletes, gardeners, mailmen, short-order cooks and wait persons, and those who spend long hours on their feet. Crocs are available in four styles (three more are scheduled for this spring) and 17 colors. Also, they are, “the latest in a long line of ugly-but-comfortable footwear whose ancestors include the Ugg boot, the Birkenstock, and of course the Earth Shoe.” (Crocs for children are called Caimans.)

Crocs have proved to be so successful that the company announced an initial public offering of stock under the symbol CROX on the NASDAQ in February of 2006. In 2003, the company sold 76,000 pairs of shoes or some 1.2 million dollars. In 2006, analysts expected the firm to sell close to 20 million pairs worth almost 300 million dollars.

Made in Mexico Crocs are available in both Cancun and Cabo San Lucas (two stores each) and Puerto Vallarta with three outlets. The Zihuatanejo tienda, which opened its doors in October of 2006 with an inventory of 1,200 pairs, is located at 27 Cuauhtemoc street. According to Lulu Pedroza Chipman who manages the store along with her mother, Margo Chipman, “more women than men buy the shoes and surprisingly about 80 percent of our clientele is Mexican. Crocs de Mexico is not a franchise: it is a license to sell Crocs granted by the parents company,” she added. In late January 2007, a second store was opened in Ixtapa, in front of Banamex bank.

Naturally there are several imitations of the “ugliest shoe you will ever fall in love with.” You can find very cheap, poorly made versions for less than 100 pesos. Expect to pay 350 pesos or more for the real Crocs.

Are Crocs just another fad? Only time will tell. In the meantime, we love our Crocs not only because of their comfort but (unlike other sandals) because our toes do not get stubbed by those famous Zihuatanejo sidewalk protuberances.

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