Crocs. Several times, they have raised quite the storm on Twitter regarding what some netizens consider to be exaggerated prices. Some think that online retailers are taking advantage of the market to make ridiculous profits off this footwear that has quickly become every millennial’s must-have.
The sandals which are made of foam and are mainly referred to as foam clogs are not entirely new to Uganda. Before they became a trendy fashion statement, they were mainly used in hospitals by surgeons who spent many hours on their feet.
For the health workers, wearing clogs was mainly due to their comfort, softness, they were pretty much all-size-fits-all, and they didn’t require much work to remove them or wear them.
While the clogs’ latest frenzy is still associated with the same attributes, now it’s the travelers, weekenders and people out shopping that have ‘owned’ them.
The story
It’s easy to think the ‘Crocs’ whose roots go back to the early 2000s have suddenly become a phenomenon, but not quite.
In 2001, a Canadian company named Foam Creations developed and manufactured a boating sandal using material called Croslite. The sandal was first unveiled at the 2002 Fort Lauderdale Boat Show.
Three years later, Crocs Inc., an American company founded by three innovators, bought Foam Creations and also acquired the rights to Croslite technology. The three had been sailing in the Caribbean when they came across the new boating sandal made by the Foam Creations. They would later discuss how to better the technology.
Crocs Inc. then became the main distributor of the sandals and bought Foam Creations.
Successful marketing campaigns helped the sandals boost their visibility plus sales across the U.S. The material, Croslite, from which they are manufactured, is easy to wash but also light and comfortable. For the youngsters, it was the bright colored varieties that drew them to these products.
Much later on, public figures like George W. Bush, Michele Obama and Prince George of Cabridge were seen rocking Crocs which had significant influence on those that had no clue about the sandals. The maker of the clogs has also entered strategic collaborations with celebrities Justin Bieber, Post Malone and Diplo among others, who command a huge influence on millennials across the globe.
Then came Covid, which forced people to work from home. When this happened, everyone turned to Crocs for comfort. Crocs Inc. recently reported a year-on-year sales increase of 64 percent (around $460 million!).
But markets like Uganda and other parts of Africa have Crocs knock-offs to thank for the recent frenzy. Some of the fakes come from China at a far cheaper price than the originals. Others are made in Uganda and one can get them as cheap as Ushs 6,000.
However, for Phionah Namatovu of Phyfi’s Croc Nation, the Crocs she deals in are far from ‘nigina’ in terms of quality.
Namutebi is a Kampala-based retailer who has been selling original Crocs for two years now. Her store is located at Cham Towers (Shop 215).
She gets her stock from licensed suppliers who shop the Crocs from different countries which have manufacturing hubs for Crocs. These are Brazil, Mexico, Italy, Bosnia, Vietnam, and China. Crocs Inc. opted to expand its production in these jurisdictions due to the cheap available there.
At her store, the price range for a pair of Crocs goes from Shs 80,000 for the Classic (the very first Crocs model) to Shs 120,000 for the Lite Ride (the latest model).
“I usually tell my clients to do some research on the kind of product they are buying. The Crocs I sell are not made of plastic or rubber as some people assume. Crocs are made out of a material called Croslite and this material is expensive. That’s why the price is high,” Namutebi told Plugged.
“In fact, people who are traveled don’t even complain about the price. It’s usually the local customers who think this is ‘Nigina’ from China,” she adds.
How do you tell the Crocs you are buying are genuine? The strap should be labeled. They should have the logo under the sole as well as the website of crocs
Phionah’s love for the Crocs was inspired by the experience she had with some two pairs that her uncle from abroad got her. Soon, she started to post about them and she noticed people in her circles were interested and were starting to make price inquirie.
But what’s the Ugandan market looking for in Crocs? It’s comfort and durability, she says.
“Crocs are durable. They can go for about 5 years. So there’s value for money. And it’s also a style, in one way or the other. The material with which they are made is also easy to clean”.
Sandals, flip flops, loafers, shoes, sneakers, slippers, flats and boots
Vince Musisi
Here in Uganda, nobody has made the most out of these clogs than travel enthusiasts. The trend also came with other ridiculous trend – wearing socks withs clogs and slides. Doesn’t matter whether the weather is scorching hot.
According to Vince Musisi, an ardent traveler, clogs are convenient when you’re out touring or on adventure activities that involve water.
“They are convenient. They can get into water and water just goes right through them. I love swimming, and they are easy to get off and put back on whenever I’m going for any water activity I’m going for,” Musisi told Plugged.
Musisi is a music producer, and shoes are not allowed inside the recording studio. While moving in and out of the studio, it becomes tiring when each time, one has to tie shoe laces. On the other hand, clogs require less work. It’s slide in and slide out.
“When I get to work, I put off my shoes and leave them in the car. Then I put on my Crocs. When I’m jumping out to the washrooms, welcome a guest or pick a phone call, I just put the Crocs on. You don’t need to bend down to put them on. They are convenient,” the producer at Swangz Avenue adds.
Protection and aeration are the other values he has this particular footwear to thank for.
“Whether a brick lands on your feet or you knock your feet on something, the Crocs cushion your feet. So they are not just for ‘masape’ (fashionable) but they are also some kind of protective footwear”.
Musisi describes himself as omuntu wa wansi (low class person), and perhaps that explains why he doesn’t lose sleep over whether the clogs he puts on are genuine Crocs or not. In his opinion, they are all made out of the same material.
He says he would part with Shs 120,000 for a pair of Crocs when he can get a similar product at Ushs 10,000.
“It’s just the branding and the weird names and the finishing and the designs put on them that make people go like ‘Oh my God, this is an original’. No, we’re all in the same boat. Whether you got it from the supermarket or from a roadside vendor, it’s the same product” he told Plugged.
“I wouldn’t waste money. I would always go for the lowest”
To him, perception is everything. If Jose Chameleone rocked a cheap shoe during a performance, in the eyes of the audience, the shoe is expensive, Musisi says. And this, to him, is why the price attached your clogs is irrelevant to the onlooker.
Back in 2008, Musisi was in the U.S. and he went visiting a friend. As much as it was winter and he noticed nobody wanted to deal with boots all the time. Since the house was carpeted, everyone would just put on comfortable socks along with Crocs.
“That’s when I spotted them (Crocs) and was like this is good stuff). I hadn’t seen them in Uganda at the time. Then, we only had the niginas. That’s when I got the Crocs. I don’t know how many pairs I have bought because people keep taking them”.
The global popularity of clogs has not come without controversy. People who have rocked this footwear have been victims of mockery and slander. Why? For ‘looking cheap and ugly’. In Uganda, some critics have compared them with the once popular rubber clogs ‘bagagawale/sandaka/nigina’ which even the most low class citizen could afford to buy. They say the Crocs are only an upgrade of the nigina.
“I’m a low class person. By the time you waste your time mocking me, I have already mocked myself. Also, if you trash it, you better be ready for the response. Coz I’m from the street”.
