Rubbery, punctured with holes and in loud hues, the clogs from Crocs are unmistakably recognisable. When they were introduced here in 2005, the distinctive shoes were met with an equal measure of fascination and derision.

But the 11-year-old company may be having the last laugh.

"Walk into any mall or pool on the weekend in Singapore and you're almost bound to see a pair of Crocs," says Mr Dave Thielen, the vice-president of Crocs Asia.

But despite its visible market presence, the American shoe company wants shoppers to know it is not just a clog-maker.

Last week, its VivoCity store re-opened as a new Crocs concept store, the first in South-east Asia. Gone is the old bright green on the walls; instead, the 2,078 sq ft concept store features sophisticated wood panelling, white walls and orange seating areas.

New Crocs concept stores were first introduced in the United States in November 2011 and later rolled out in Britain, France and China. The one in Singapore will be the fifth in the world.

While there are no concrete plans to set up more of such stores here, the company will incorporate feedback on the new store in its future plans, says MrThielen, 56.

The American, who is based here, says the facelift is an extension of the evolving company, which now carries many "fashion shoes", as the company likes to call them.

These include ballet flats and wedges in Croslite, the foam resin material which gives the shoes their signature cushy feel. Prices range from $39.90 for children's clogs to $129.90 for men's sneakers.

It was never Crocs' intention to be a one-shoe company, which is why it diversified into other styles very early on, says Mr Thielen.

The front of the store displays the latest "fashion shoe" collection - colourful rubber huaraches, inspired by the traditional leather sandals from Central America - that was launched last month. It will be carried in all stores by the end of this week.

Also found near the entrance are boat shoes with cut-outs, another new collection introduced this year.

However, the brand's signature clogs are still an important part of the company. Mr Thielen describes them as the DNA of the brand and they make up more than 40per cent of its worldwide revenue, which amounted to US$1.12 billion (S$1.38 billion) last year.

Each year, the clogs are reinvented. This year's retro style includes coloured stripes on the sole.

Asked if the brand is moving towards more fashionable designs and away from clogs, Mr Thielen says they all serve the company's vision of providing footwear for its target market - 25- to 45-year-old women and, perhaps, their children and husbands.

"The shoes are for the same consumer but for different occasions, whether it's gardening or going out."

The Crocs company was started in 2002 in Colorado in the United States by three entrepreneur friends - Scott Seamans, Lyndon "Duke" Hanson, and George Boedecker Junior - looking for a comfortable boat shoe.

Mr Hanson and Mr Seamans are still involved in the firm's operations, while Mr Boedecker left the company in 2006.

The brand is named after the reptile because of the products' ability to be worn on land and sea.

The clogs grew in popularity and were seen on then American president George W. Bush and actress Teri Hatcher, even as more and more critics described the shoes as ugly.

The company raised more than US$208 million when it went public in 2006, the largest IPO for a shoe brand at the time. But by 2008, sales cooled and, combined with the global economic downturn, the company suffered a huge loss of US$185 million that year, with its stock price tumbling to less than a dollar from a high of US$75.21.

Readjusted production numbers, costs and inventory, as well as company restructuring, helped it get back on track. The business was back in the black in 2010 and revenues surpassed US$1 billion in 2011 and last year.

The crisis drove home the importance of diversifying its wares, which it did by expanding its non-clog range to include sneakers, wedges, boots and more.

Global expansion has also played a crucial role in the company's new chapter. The rapidly growing Asian market, as well as the Middle East and African markets, accounted for 41 per cent of the company's sales last year, up from 38per cent in 2011.

The brand is now sold in more than 90 countries.

In Singapore alone, there will be 14 stores by the end of the month, with the latest one opening in Jem mall in Jurong East.

Mr Thielen hopes that the new concept store in VivoCity will encourage shoppers to take a second look at the growing styles of comfortable footwear the company offers.

"They really fit the lifestyle here. They are airy, comfortable and easy to slip on and off. If your initial reaction is 'ugh', I'd say come in and try them on for yourself."

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IT ALL BEGAN WITH ONE SHOE

July 2002: Three Americans set up Crocs to produce and distribute a foam clog made by Canadian plastics company, Foam Creations.

November 2002: The first model is called the Beach, whose design is most closely associated with Crocs. It debuts at a boat show and all 1,000 pairs sell out. The company records US$24,000 in sales for its first year.

June 2004: Crocs buys Foam Creations for US$5 million so it now owns the formula for Croslite, the spongy resin material Crocs clogs are known for.

January 2005: The company begins to sell products in Asia and Europe. It also launches non-clog models.

February 2006: Crocs goes public and its initial public offering nets US$208million, the highest then for a shoe brand.

December 2006: The company buys Jibbitz, an American brand that creates charms to fit into the ventilation holes of the clogs, for about US$10 million.

2007: The company records US$847.4million in sales and its stock price hits a high of US$75.21 in December.

2008: With sales cooling and faced with a global economic downturn, the company records a loss of US$185.1million. In December, the stock sinks to a record low of US$0.79.

2010: The company records a profit of US$67.7 million after two years of losses.

2011: Sales hit US$1 billion. More than 200 million pairs of Crocs have been sold since the brand started.

2012: Sales hit US$1.12 billion.

2013: Now in more than 90 markets, Crocs offers more than 300 styles of footwear of which only about 50 are clog designs.

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