Feature Friday: Crocs

Do you remember how popular these shoes were when they first came out?

I had never heard of them until I slowly started seeing every other man, woman, and child wearing them. Did I ever become one of those people? Nope. They just never really got my attention.

Either way, today's "Feature Friday" will focus on the history of Crocs and how they became so popular!

The idea of Crocs was created by three friends on a boating trip one day in 2002.

All Crocs shoes are made with Croslite™, a closed-cell resin that gives each pair of shoes its soft, comfortable, lightweight, non-marking and odor-resistant qualities.

Their first debut was at a boating show in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Many people weren't impressed by the look of the shoe but needless to say, all pairs sold out by the end of the day!

In 2003, they introduced a separate line called "The Nile" which was geared towards women.

The friends opened their first mall kiosk in 2004 and today, have more then 400 stores around the world.

And what about the alligator logo? They actually didn't have one until a few years later! The alligator, named Duke, was introduced in 2005.

As the brand's popularity continued to rise, the company created a charity called, SolesUnited, now known as Crocs Cares. Since 2008, more than 3,000,000 pairs of shoes are donated to children and families around the world.

In 2010, the company expanded their style of shoes to flip flops and sneakers and today they also have boat shoes, loafers, boots, and slip on shoes that change colors called "chameleon."

So do/did you own a pair of crocs? What color? What style? Share your comments!