1. Introduction

Crocs, as a unique casual footwear product, have been widely welcomed around the world for their lightness, comfort, durability and diverse colors and styles. However, in 2021, fierce market competition, changing consumer demand, safety hazards, rampant counterfeiting and the impact of emerging fashion trends will cause a downward trend in the sales of Crocs. In recent years, with the change in the public's attitude towards fashion, Crocs have returned to the public's field of vision. Since the Crocs company was founded in 2002, more than 600 million pairs have been sold worldwide [1]. This situation has triggered thinking and research on its sales strategy, market positioning and brand image in the industry and academia. This paper will first sort out the development history and market performance of Crocs, and discuss the background and current situation of the decline in sales of Crocs. We will thoroughly analyze the reasons for the decline in sales through in-depth research on market competition conditions, consumer trends and the evolution of fashion culture. At the same time, we will examine the strategic measures Crocs has taken in the face of market challenges, especially the key strategies and marketing methods for its successful counterattack. The main goal of this thesis is to deeply analyze the reasons for the decline and counterattack of Crocs sales and to explore its economic impact on the shoe industry and handicraft workshops. From different perspectives, we will explore the impact and promotion of the Crocs industry on the relevant industrial chain. Finally, based on in-depth research and analysis, we will put forward relevant suggestions for the future development of Crocs, and provide reference and references for its sustainable development.

2. Reasons for the Decline in Sales of Crocs

In 2007, it was the highlight moment of Crocs, which swept the world, with annual sales of nearly 850 million US dollars, and the company's stock price had a 48% premium over the issue price. Hollywood superstars also often wear these shoes, which became the trend at that time. But the good times didn't last long. In 2008, the sales performance of Crocs plummeted, and the company laid off employees. In 2009, Crocs sales were less than 650 million US dollars. Why did the Crocs company go from monopolizing half of the footwear industry to finally disappearing from the public eye? This article will mention two important factors. The first is the ever-changing fashion trends and preferences of consumers. New trends and styles are constantly emerging in the fashion industry, attracting the attention of consumers. When new fashion trends emerge, consumers tend to turn to shoes that meet these new trends instead of paying attention to Crocs. A shift that could lead to a drop in Crocs sales. Secondly, the absence of a brand company marketing strategy. After the explosion of Crocs, the company continued to expand the brand line, and did not choose to dig deep in its main field, and did not pay attention to how to further upgrade the Crocs that the public is already familiar with [2]. All the actions of the Crocs company are to improve the color and shoe flower, which is very single in terms of style, which is easy to make consumers feel tired. And after Crocs’ exploded in 2008, the company began to develop other products, such as sunglasses, golf shoes, etc., blindly expanding the brand line and losing the brand’s core competitiveness, resulting in repeated declines in its performance. Finally, it is because of the impact of fake and inferior products on the market. Because of the brand awareness and market demand for Crocs, counterfeit manufacturers try to use the Crocs brand to attract consumers and obtain profits. A large number of counterfeit shoes have flowed into the market, especially in Indonesia [3]. Although the price of these products is lower than that of Crocs, there are differences in quality and performance from the original brand products, which makes consumers disappointed with the Crocs brand, perforated shoes contain carcinogens and are even less breathable than thin leather shoes [4], damages the brand's reputation and image, and leads to repeated declines in brand sales.

3. The Reason for the Counterattack of Crocs

However, unexpectedly, in 2021, the performance of Crocs will hit a new high and return to the public eye. Croc's financial report shows that its revenue in the second quarter of 2021 will reach US$640 million, an increase of 93.3% compared with the second quarter of last year. Why can Crocs make a comeback?

First of all, because of its comfortable foot feel. The shoes will change slightly with the change of body temperature in order to fit the curve of the user's feet, and then use orthopedics to design the heel, arch support inside the shoe, non-slip sole, waterproof material, and safe heel laces. Make flip flops or sandals, one shoe for two. The materials used in the Crocs include closed resin materials and biodegradable EVA materials. The former does not contain harmful substances and has good comfort; the latter is a soft, odor-free foam material that is environmentally friendly and comfortable. Crocs insists on sustainable development, and implements a rubber recycling program in Asian factories, focusing on simply "minimizing the type of materials in shoes, using waste or creating products in products [5]." Crocs because of comfortable feet Feeling of "dominating" the hospital. The high-intensity work of medical workers is perfectly suitable for Crocs. Crocs can relieve the pressure of standing for a long time, and they are easy to put on and take off. The laceless design allows doctors to respond quickly to special situations. The all-inclusive form can prevent medical staff from being injured by falling sharp instruments. Finally, Crocs are easy to clean and disinfect, and the material is also very durable. The second is because of the conversion of marketing strategies and the influence of social media. In 2014, Crocs decided to invest $24.5 million to restructure its marketing strategy by reducing the number of stores and refocusing the product line on the original concept of Crocs clogs. A collaboration with Balenciaga, released in October 2017, brought them back on stage. In 2017, Crocs and Balenciaga co-branded the Crcos FOAM, which broke the traditional Crocs design, increased the sole height of the previous Crocs by 10 cm, and decorated the holes of the Crocs with various Kinds of logos and small accessories. The collaboration received a lot of positive reviews, and the product sold out the day it launched. After 2020, the Crocs company returned to the research on Crocs, cut 40% of the product line, reduced the product line to about 200, and started to focus on the core product line again. Not only that, Crocs company also invests a lot of money in brand marketing and marketing to meet consumers' pursuit of fashion. E-commerce is the fastest-growing area of business for Crocs and is expected to remain so in the future [6]. Crocs company cooperates with major fashion bloggers to promote their new products, and the craze Crocs has returned to the fashion industry. Crocs company not only cooperated with Internet celebrities with tens of millions of fans, but also cooperated with many influential figures such as famous singers, musicians, Chinese actors, etc., which added fire to the sales of Crocs. In addition, Crocs company began to enter the field of e-commerce. Crocs cooperates with multiple e-commerce platforms, such as Amazon, eBay, Tmall, Jingdong, etc., and sells Crocs products on these platforms. Through cooperation with these platforms, Crocs can expand its online sales channels, reach a wider consumer group, expand brand awareness and gradually enter the Chinese market. The survey shows that most consumers learn about Crocs through e-commerce channels such as e-commerce live broadcasts, APP open screen advertisements and search marketing pushes [7]. In addition, Cross Company has successfully transformed its products by identifying and activating the original audience, increasing the adhesion of information, and increasing the adhesion of information [8]. It can be seen that the marketing strategy of Crocs company is relatively successful. The third reason is that Crocs are loved by consumers for their unique design, lightness, comfort and versatility. Crocs have a unique look and design, and the whole structure on the upper makes them easily recognizable and distinguishable in the market. This uniqueness gives the Crocs a unique brand recognition and recognition that makes them stand out in the competitive footwear market.

Therefore, the reasons for the decline in sales of Crocs' cave shoes can be attributed to the following factors: constantly changing fashion trends and consumer preferences, inadequate marketing and promotion strategies, and the influx of pirated and counterfeit products [9].

4. Impact of Crocs Counterattacks

After the Jedi counterattack of Crocs in 2021, it will promote the development of the shoe industry. The high sales volume of Crocs has led to an increase in orders from related shoe-making companies in the supply chain, thereby stimulating the growth of production and sales of suppliers such as shoe materials, shoe soles, and insoles. In addition, with the hot sale of Crcos diy shoe flower, the price of authentic shoe flower of Crocs company is too high, many consumers will choose to order from handmade workshops with lower prices, so most handmade workshops start to make Crcos Exclusive shoe flower design, and ushered in a blockbuster. By stacking and exchanging different elements to produce new original designs, the products are produced quickly and the orders are large, which further drives the economy of the handicraft industry. The second is to endow it with special cultural significance. In 2023, lovers of Crocs set off a wave of internet trending topics on the web, with a series of internet buzzwords about Crocs entering the limelight. Young people are posting trending posts about Crocs on a number of social media platforms and receiving tens of thousands of likes. With their ugly appearance, comfortable feet and awkward positioning, Crocs have changed everyone's attitude towards fashion. In this fast-paced living environment, comfort and casualness are becoming more and more important, and casual ugliness has become a fashion attitude.

5. The Future Prospects and Sustainability of Crocs

Crocs has been doing well in recent years, but there are still some potential challenges and obstacles to its future prospects and sustainability. Here are some possible factors and suggestions for other businesses: Pay attention to changes in consumption trends. Consumer preferences and fashion trends may change over time. Crocs needs to constantly adapt to changes in the market, not only to meet the needs of consumers in terms of design but also to maintain the freshness of the brand and develop new materials. Collaborative designs and co-branded styles with other brands are ways to increase appeal and market share. The second is the need to pay attention to the safety of Crcos. In recent years, safety problems of Crocs have emerged one after another, and there have been as many as 140 new claims for accidental injuries related to Crocs, with a total claim amount of nearly 180,000 New Zealand dollars over five years [10]. Accidents such as Crcos getting stuck in the cracks of escalators in large shopping malls and slipping while wearing Crcos on wet ground occurred. In this regard, the design of the Crocs should be upgraded, and safer materials should be used. Consider adding anti-skid and anti-snap designs to the bottom of the Crocs to reduce the possibility of getting stuck or reduce the number and size of the gaps at the bottom of the Crocs. Reduce the chance of getting stuck on escalators. Finally, since there are still a large number of Crocs imitations in the market, brands should strengthen the protection of intellectual property rights, including trademarks, design patents and copyrights. Strengthen the crackdown on counterfeit shoes, strengthen market inspections and inspections, jointly crack down on the manufacture and sale of counterfeit shoes, and work together to maintain market order and a fair competition environment.

6. Conclusion

The main factors behind the decline in Crocs sales are changing fashion trends and preferences, lack of marketing and promotional strategies, and the influx of knockoff shoes into the market However, Crocs successfully counterattacked through comfortable foot feel, transformation of marketing strategy and influence of social media, as well as the unique characteristics of Crocs. In addition, Crocs Company has successfully transformed its products by identifying and activating the original audience, increasing the adhesion of information, and increasing the adhesion of information. This led to the economic impact of shoemaking and workshops, as well as the cultural and fashion significance of the Crocs. In order to ensure future success, it is recommended that Crocs pay attention to changes in consumer trends, pay attention to safety issues of Crocs, and strengthen intellectual property protection. This will help enhance the competitiveness and sustainable development of the brand.