Croslite and Crocs: turning a good idea into a multi-billion dollar company

Crocs are distinctive in so many ways: the bright colors, the vent holes, not to mention the front of the shoe that resembles the snout of a…crocodile. But without a doubt, one of the first features of the Crocs that people comment on is the material. Crocodiles are not made of rubber or plastic.

They are made from a material called “croslite,” which is perhaps best described as foam resin. Croslite is made with ethylene vinyl acetate, the same substance used to make hot glue sticks and to add elasticity to plastic wrap. (Ethylene vinyl acetate is sometimes called foam rubber.) Croslite is unique in that it changes shape when exposed to heat. This means that when wearing shoes made of croslite, the shoes will gradually mold to the shape of the wearer’s feet.

The Crocs brand claims this makes the shoes a great choice for people looking for custom orthopedic support, though podiatrists have a mixed reaction to the shoes’ orthopedic potential. Croslite is also a “closed cell” material. This means that the “cells” or bubbles that make up the foam material are strong enough that you can walk on them without breaking the material. Croslite is also touted as being antimicrobial, a feature that helps reduce foot odor and fights microbes that cause bacterial and fungal foot infections. It’s washable (some even say dishwasher safe) and easy to care for over the years.

Given the success Crocs has had using croslite, it’s interesting to note that the brand actually bought the rights to the material from someone else. Canadian company Foam Creations developed croslite to produce non-slip clogs, similar to Crocs but without the back strap. In fact, one of the founders of Crocs, Scott Semans, was wearing a Foam Creations clog during a Caribbean vacation when he and his two friends, George Boedecker and Lyndon Hanson, came up with the original idea for Crocs. In 2004, Crocs purchased Foam Creations and all rights to the croslite material.

In its first year of business, Crocs made just $1,000 in sales in the United States alone. Four years later, the company was earning more than $200 million a year and selling Crocs in 40 countries. Crocs brand marketing magic took an idea that started with Foam Creations and turned it into an international fad.