Fashionistas might be divided on Crocs, but TikTok Shop isn’t.
The platform crowned Crocs its Seller of the Year in May, an accolade the brand earned through a test-and-learn approach to social designed to engage Gen Z and Gen Alpha, long before they hit the Buy button.
Crocs signed on as an early adopter of TikTok Shop in 2024 and racked up an estimated $52.4 million in sales in the 12 months to April, making it the top footwear seller on the platform, according to data intelligence firm Charm.io.
Speaking at ADWEEK’s Brandweek event in Atlanta, Crocs EVP and chief brand officer Terence Reilly gave a behind-the-scenes look at Crocs’ journey to the top.
“When we got started on TikTok, we didn’t know what we were doing,” he said. “We’d like to pretend we’re really smart. We have a whole bunch of experts. No, we had a whole bunch of people who cared and were willing to try. Willing to fail, and then willing to scale.”
Since then, the business has racked up over 3 million followers on TikTok, backed by a nimble team focused on creating “audacious” content and live commerce experiences that get people talking.
One standout moment was “Croctober,” in which Crocs livestreamed on TikTok throughout October. The 31-day, 744-hour marathon tripled Crocs’ follower count, generated 550 million impressions, and earned the business a Shorty Award.
When the brand reopened its 34th Street store in New York last December, it also brought in Home Alone star Macaulay Culkin (who was, naturally, wearing Crocs) to livestream from the shop floor while Reilly himself filmed a segment for the Instagram and TikTok series Track Star outside it.
Reilly’s advice to other brands looking to emulate Crocs’ success? “Do not build bureaucracy,” he said. Instead, build a team filled with people who really care.
“Give them permission to fail, and then give them permission to scale,” Reilly added. “They’ll make mistakes, bad things, good things. Let it roll, keep rolling. If there are too many meetings, you’re losing. If there are too many people, you’re losing. Too many opinions slow things down, and this has to move at speed.”
TikTok Shop IRL at Brandweek
Reilly demonstrated Crocs’ TikTok strategy IRL for the Brandweek audience, inviting presenter Liana Gibbs to the stage to host a livestream. About 3,000 people tuned in to watch Gibbs showcase different products, including its vegan Chalet Clog and Ballet Flat.
The marketer revealed that during the 12-minute demo, Crocs sold 200 items.
