The Crocs Playbook: Lessons in brand reinvention through collaborations

What do Crocs, fried chicken, and high fashion have in common? If you guessed “absolutely nothing,” you’d be right — at least, that’s what most people thought until Crocs started rewriting the rules of brand collaboration. Once dismissed as the shoes nobody wanted to be caught dead in, Crocs is now strutting down runways with Balenciaga, dropping limited-edition clogs with KFC, and selling out collaborations with pop icons like Justin Bieber and Post Malone. In a world where today’s consumers, led by Gen Z, are quick to switch loyalties, Crocs has managed to engineer one sell-out collection after another through the power of collaboration.

Few brands have leaned into this ethos of partnership more relentlessly than Crocs. Its journey from fashion punchline to a multibillion-dollar brand has been paved by one headline-grabbing collab after another, after another, after another. Let’s slip into the story.

The Crocs Story: From Boat Decks to Fashion’s Front Row
Picture this: It’s 2002, and three friends are sailing in the Caribbean, searching for a shoe that won’t slip on wet decks or soak up water like a sponge. Their answer? A peculiar foam clog — lightweight, waterproof, and, let’s be honest, not winning any fashion contests. But function trumped form. When they launched 'Crocs' at a Florida boat show, the shoes sold out instantly among boaters and outdoor enthusiasts.

Still, the world wasn’t quite ready to embrace the “ugly” shoes. TIME listed them among the “50 Worst Inventions,” and fashion critics dismissed them as wacky. Crocs quickly became the brand people loved to hate. In response, Crocs leaned into the criticism with its “Ugly Can Be Beautiful” campaign, embracing its status as a meme rather than a must-have.

By the mid-2010s, the joke seemed over. Sales slumped, stores closed, and the brand looked destined for the clearance racks. But instead of getting bullied for being the weird kid in class, Crocs chose reinvention, and their weapon of choice? Collaboration.

The Second Homecoming
Everything changed in 2016, when designer Christopher Kane sent Crocs down the London Fashion Week runway, studded with mineral stones. The fashion world was baffled — "yes, those were actual Crocs on the runway." This marked the brand’s comeback. Then, in 2017, Balenciaga unveiled 10cm platform Crocs at Paris Fashion Week, dividing critics but selling out before they even hit stores. Suddenly, Crocs had credibility with the fashion crowd. And it didn’t stop there.

Collaborations: A Growing Roster of Cultural Hits
After Balenciaga, Crocs doubled down. It became the industry’s most unpredictable, and oddly irresistible, collaboration machine. Limited-edition drops with music icons like Post Malone, Bad Bunny, and Justin Bieber followed, each featuring personalized Jibbitz charms and each selling out in minutes, sparking frenzy across resale platforms.

In 2020, Crocs teamed up with KFC to release perhaps the most bizarre, but most talked-about, collaboration to date: clogs printed with fried chicken graphics, topped with detachable, chicken-scented drumstick charms. Absurd? Completely. But also, genius. Unsurprisingly, they sold out immediately, becoming a viral moment in the industry.

Crocs then went on to infiltrate street culture. In 2022, it tapped streetwear legend Jeff Staple for a collaboration that sealed its credibility. “Crocs have forced their way in whether people like it or not,” Staple said, “It’s one of the great brand turnaround stories.”

The $4 Billion Reinvention
As Crocs expanded its reach in every industry from high-fashion to fast-food, one thing became clear: collaboration wasn’t a side hustle, it was the strategy. “Collaborations are a key part of our lineup they allow us to reach new customers who might not otherwise consider our brand.” said CEO Andrew Rees. And the numbers backed it up. By 2020, Crocs reported record sales, and by 2024, annual revenue had soared to $4.1 billion.

Once ridiculed as the world’s ugliest shoe, Crocs has reintroduced itself to represent individuality, self-expression, and cultural importance.

Collaborations as a Growth Engine: What Indian Brands Can Learn
Crocs isn’t just a comeback story, it’s a masterclass in the power of collaboration. It flipped the script by turning partnerships into a repeatable growth engine. They weren’t alone: globally, fashion and lifestyle brands are no longer treating collabs as fleeting PR stunts. According to Forbes, some now generate over 28% of revenue from collaborations, with those investing consistently seeing double-digit growth, year after year.

So, what can Indian brands take away from this? The opportunity is huge, and still largely untapped. Let's look at the Crocs Playbook of collaboration.

Mastering the Art of Unexpected Partnerships
If there’s one thing Crocs mastered, it’s the art of the unexpected partnership. Each collaboration flung open the doors to new audiences, from high-fashion insiders to fast-food superfans, expanding its reach far beyond traditional footwear buyers. These cross-industry alliances didn’t just make headlines, they made Crocs part of the cultural conversation, sparking viral moments and skyrocketing brand visibility.

For Indian brands, the lesson is clear: step boldly outside your comfort zone. Imagine a sportswear label teaming up with a tech disruptor, or a food giant collaborating with an indie musician. In a market as diverse as India, these unexpected pairings aren’t just clever, they’re transformative.

Brand Strengthening Through Cultural Capital
Crocs didn’t change its form; it changed its feeling. Through its choice of collaborators, from pop artists to streetwear icons, Crocs borrowed cultural capital, transforming from “clunky” to “cool.” Even critics started seeing Crocs as a canvas for personality. For Indian legacy brands or those rooted in function, collaborations offer a way to reposition yourself without total rebranding.

Scarcity + The Drop Model: From Utility to Coveted
Crocs entered the hype game with limited-edition drops that sold out in minutes, igniting hype and fuelling resale. Exclusivity turned their shoes from utility to collectibles. Indian brands can spark similar excitement by creating buzzworthy, limited-run collabs that get fans lining up for a piece of the story.

Leaning into Absurdity
Crocs’ most underrated strategy? Embracing the weird. From fried chicken-scented clogs with KFC to chip-inspired designs with Pringles, Crocs has leaned into absurdity not to please everyone, but to get noticed by everyone. And it works, these wild designs grab headlines, dominate social feeds and spark buzz. Some aren’t even worn, they’re collected, remembered, and obsessed over.

But here’s the clever twist: it follows a classic bait-and-delight model — hook with the outrageous, then sell with the accessible. Once they have your attention with the bizarre, Crocs follows up with more wearable collections that convert curiosity into actual sales. For Indian brands looking to break through the clutter and create cultural buzz, the takeaway is simple: don’t be afraid to get weird. The media will notice, the collectors will chase it, and the consumers will follow.

Consistency: The Real Growth Engine
What truly set Crocs apart was consistency. Its collaborations weren’t one-offs, they were part of a strategic rhythm, with each partnership building on the last and keeping Crocs top of mind, even with fickle Gen Z consumers.

Indian brands need to think of collaboration as a strategy, not a headline. Make collaborations a part of your brand rhythm.

The Moment Is Now
India's youth-powered consumers crave novelty, authenticity, and brands that feel culturally relevant - exactly what smart partnerships deliver. As Crocs proved, the right collaboration isn’t just a marketing play, it’s a blueprint for growth. The question is no longer if Indian brands should adopt it – but how soon they will.

The writer is the Co-founder and Managing Partner at LicenseWorks.