Crocs Inc. (nasdaq: CROX) is a shoe manufacturer founded by entrepreneur George B. Boedecker., Jr to produce and distribute a plastic clog originally acquired from a Canadian company. Originally developed as a spa shoe, the first model, the Crocs Beach, was unveiled in November 2002 at the Ft. Lauderdale Boat Show, selling out the 200 pairs produced at that time.Fashion Attack, Elizabeth Wellington, Philadelphia Inquirer, 2007-07-05. Retrieved 2007-08-25.

The product line has remained popular, and has the characteristics of a sustained fad, with both ardent support and disapproval.

Crocs has been the title sponsor of the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) Tour since 2006.

Company history

In June 2002, Boedecker used a company he had previously formed called Western Brands to start a shoe company that eventually became known as Crocs, Inc. Boedecker had been approached earlier that same year to produce and distribute a shoe originally developed by Fin Project NA (now Foam Creations Inc.), a company based out of Quebec City, Canada. In September of 2002, Western Brands obtained the rights to the name Crocs.com. In October of 2002, Anthony H. Kruse and Sandstone Ventures, LLC invested additional money and joined Boedecker as owners of Crocs. On that same date, Boedecker hired Blake Anderson, Scott Seamans, Ronald Oliver, George Foti, and Lyndon Victor Hanson III who entered into employment agreements where they could earn a non-voting, profit sharing interest if they continued their employment. After unparalleled success, George B. Boedecker, Jr. amicably resigned as chief executive officer and from the Crocs Board of Directors to pursue philanthropic activities and other business interests including the distributorship of Crocs in Mexico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and airport kiosks worldwide.

Manufacture and patents

In June 2004, Crocs purchased Foam Creations and their manufacturing operations to secure exclusive rights to the proprietary foam resin "croslite", which is made using ethylene vinyl acetate. The foam forms itself to a wearer's feet and offers purported medical benefits, according to a number of podiatrists.

Crocs holds four patents covering various utility aspects of its footwear, U.S. Patent No. 6993858 B2 issued February 7, 2006, and U.S. Patent Nos. D517788,, D517789 and D517790 issued on March 28, 2006. The Company also announced that it has filed complaints with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) and the U.S. Federal District Court against 11 companies that manufacture, import or distribute products called Crock-offs that Crocs believes infringe its patents.