Crocs is the latest brand to prioritize resale, teaming with pre-owned marketplace ThredUp to give used clogs a second shot at life.
The foam footwear maker last week announced its participation in a Clean Out program facilitated by ThredUp’s Resale-as-a-Service platform. Since Thursday, U.S. Crocs shoppers have been able to trade in their used apparel, shoes and accessories from any brand in return for Crocs shopping credit.
Using a prepaid shipping label, consumers can mail their gently-used goods to ThredUp, where they are inspected for condition and quality before being listed for sale on the resale site. While those participating in the Crocs program are encouraged to donate the brand’s shoes, doing so is not required. When items sell on ThredUp.com, shoppers will receive a credit with which they can purchase new Crocs gear from the brand’s e-commerce site or brick-and-mortar stores. For a limited time, the company is providing an additional bonus to encourage participation.
According to Crocs, the ThredUp partnership represents forward movement in its commitment to becoming a net-zero company by 2030. Its sustainability roadmap includes plans to address inputs, packaging and resource use while devising solutions for product afterlife—like resale. Crocs donates a significant portion of unsalable merchandise to charity annually in a bid to help underserved communities while keeping product out of landfills.
The brand joins other household name retailers and labels, from Adidas to Gap, Fabletics, Farfetch, Vera Bradley, Michael Stars and Madewell that have launched programs through ThredUp’s RaaS platform this year.
“Crocs has put tremendous emphasis around reducing environmental impact and waste, and ThredUp is humbled to be part of their sustainability journey,” said Pooja Sethi, ThredUp’s RaaS general manager. “By enabling Crocs customers to give preloved items a second life through ThredUp’s Resale-as-a-Service, we’re promoting reuse and inching closer to a more circular future for fashion.”
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Crocs wares from an entirely different collaborative partnership were recently on display as Berlin-based installation artist Anna Uddenberg featured Balenciaga’s take on the brand’s Post Malone-approved footwear.
A blue figure wearing a pair of platform rainboots (developed for the spring 2022 Balenciaga collection) was photographed by artist Kristina Nagel, Vogue Scandinavia reported. Another sculpture featured a female figure in a plaid jumpsuit and harnesses wearing the Italian fashion house’s bright green high-heeled Crocs. The figures featured in the commissioned installations were created using upcycled Balenciaga fabrics and materials.
While Crocs is stepping into secondhand, across the pond Timberland linked up with British startup Hurr to release its first collection of borrowable fashion on the latter’s growing rental platform. The duo curated a selection of genderless outerwear in accessible shades including black, grey, red and neutral khaki. Launched on Nov. 3, the fall/winter drop is priced starting at 17 pounds ($23) for four-day rentals.
“We are very excited to be launching our first rental proposition with Hurr in the UK and believe they have built a best-in-class rental model,” said Davide Romeo, CLM & digital marketplace development manager for Timberland. “At Timberland, we are fully committed to create more sustainable products and business models in pursuit of a greener future. This partnership with HURR marks an important step to advance Timberland’s efforts towards circularity and engage with Gen Z consumers.”
Hurr founding CEO Victoria Prew “thoroughly enjoyed working with the Timberland team to understand how we can translate their heritage into a rental-first proposition, which we know will resonate with both the Hurr and Timberland customer.”
The Timberland collab marks yet another step forward for Hurr, which has grown its rental relationship with Selfridges over the past year and blossomed beyond a strictly peer-to-peer model.
“We can’t wait to see how both our communities react to the edit,” Prew added.
Timberland has been investigating ways to reduce its impact and participate in the sharing economy, in August launching a take-back program accepting the brand’s footwear, apparel and accessories to be repaired, restored for resale, or upcycled or recycled into new goods. The move hailed a “critical next step on its path to circularity,” it said.