Crocs: Why US Schools Are Banning Them – The Backlash –

As an $8 billion company, Crocs has reached Justin Bieber levels of popularity, providing a quick, comfortable option for kids and teens for school. But now, a growing number of schools are banning clogs because of safety risks.

“Whenever someone reports a foot injury, the first thing everyone says is, ‘I bet they were wearing Crocs,'” told Bloomberg Osvaldo Lucianowho has two children and works as a school nurse in New York, referring to his group conversations with other health care providers across the state. He added that he agreed with the bans, citing safety concerns.

Dozens of schools in at least 12 states of USA have banned students from wearing Crocs in everyday wear, citing a tendency for some students to trip and fall wearing the colorful clogs without the so-called safety straps behind the heel. Other schools say the shoes have led to an increase in accidents and distractions, including students playing with the small charms that match the shoes in class and throwing the shoes at classmates.

Are Crocs unsafe?

“All students must wear closed-toed shoes for safety (No Crocs),” reads the school uniform policy at Lake City Elementary, located south of Atlanta. LaBelle Middle School in LaBelle, Florida, says in its dress code for the current school year that “safe footwear must be worn at all times,” specifying that “CROCS are NOT allowed.”

OR Anne MelmanCrocs brand president and executive vice president, said the company is not aware of “any documented data that bans have increased.”

More than tripling of sales

Crocs, which is scheduled to report third-quarter results on Tuesday before U.S. markets open, has seen annual sales more than triple over the past four years. After a ten-year period of stagnation during the 2010s, Crocs regained relevance following a strategic move to target teenagers. Helped by kids craving comfort during the pandemic and a host of celebrities, Crocs now ranks among the top 10 favorites among teenagers, according to a two-year survey by Piper Sandler. The stock has risen by more than three times the performance of the S&P 500 since 2018.

The sales

However, there are signs that the company’s revival may be slowing. Sales growth in the third quarter, which includes the critical shopping period for the new school year, is expected to be a meager 0.4 percent, according to the average of estimates compiled by Bloomberg. That would be the lowest level since 2020. And the economic picture for consumer spending darkens as shoppers look for deals ahead of the all-important holiday shopping season and higher prices across the economy erode brand loyalty.

Children’s favourites

“Buying back-to-school or back-to-school products is important to the brand,” Mr Neil SaundersCEO of Retail at GlobalData. And while Sanders says there’s no sign yet that the bans are affecting sales, “they’re certainly pretty useless.”

OR Siobhan Joshuaa pharmacy technician in Yonkers, New York, said she recently bought her 10-year-old daughter a pair of slip-on sneakers to replace Crocs at school, which recently banned clogs during recess for safety reasons. Joshua’s daughter needed eight stitches in her shin after one of her Crocs got caught on an escalator, causing her to fall.

“I actually thought it was crazy how we bought them for safety and they banned them for safety reasons,” Joshua said, noting that her daughter still loves her Crocs and wears them outside of school.

Crocs said the school restrictions are “confusing” and argued that even if some schools ban them, they are still an “everyday shoe”.

Source: ot.gr