Crocs for kids have become a must-have shoe. Photo / Supplied
Crocs for kids have become a must-have shoe. Photo / Supplied
They’re the kids’ shoe of the moment: cartoon-cute, colourful and, despite a podiatrist’s recent warning against them, Crocs for little ones seem to be flying off the shelves.
But their popularity has led to some Kiwi customers being stung by fake sites selling but never sending the coveted footwear.
The Herald understands stockists are experiencing low supply and is aware of at least three Rebel Sport stores in Auckland that have sold out of kids’ Crocs. They also don’t appear as a product in the company’s online store.
An Auckland mum told the Herald she’d had trouble finding Crocs since Christmas. “I kept checking my local Rebel Sports, both Wairau and Albany, with no luck. Since then, I’ve noticed the sizes that were sold out were largely toddler sizes, eight to 10, and that they were constantly sold out online. Black is impossible to get.
“My husband found some on a trip overseas, but here in New Zealand it seems like you are lucky if you manage to nab a pair in any colour.”
A Rebel Sport spokesperson declined to comment on its stock levels. North Beach also said it could not comment.
A spokesperson for Crocs NZ says demand may have been higher than retailers anticipated, leading to stock shortages.
“Crocs are sold into retailers between six to nine months in advance due to production lead times. So if forecasting by the stores was lighter than the demand, then we see these peaks and troughs with stock availability in retailers.”
The spokesperson added that Collection 2 for 2023 was launching this month and went live on the Crocs website yesterday.
Part of the Crocs range for kids. Crocs NZ says shortages may have been caused by retailers underestimating demand. Photo / Crocs.co.nz
Last month the spokesperson told the Herald there had been an increase in school-aged kids wearing the shoes, which range in price from $60 to $100 a pair.
School sports teams were also buying Crocs as their chosen footwear brand for representation at local and national events, they said.
But amid the rush, Auckland podiatrist and Sports Medicine New Zealand member Caron Orelowitz said the shoes could cause several “major issues” and had been linked to serious injury. Some Crocs fans are also being stung by fake website scams.
Crocs NZ’s spokesperson said they have been contacted about and had seen “a number of fraudulent websites trying to fool customers as a Crocs discounter ... taking credit card details, charging multiple times, never sending product …”
The Crocs global e-commerce team was in the process of shutting down two sites that purport to be New Zealand Crocs sellers, the spokesperson said.
“This is something we work on continuously. However, [it] is not related to Crocs in any way.
Trade Me and Facebook Marketplace are also popular places for secondhand Crocs, which can sell from anywhere between $1 to $60 for “never worn” pairs. Meanwhile, some sellers are offering what appear to be new Crocs for $99.
But the Crocs’ NZ spokesperson pointed to the adage: “If something is too good to be true, it probably is,” and said “supporting your local stores is the best way to avoid these scams”.
