This is the third in a series of blog posts on “5 Brands We Would Miss.”  The series, based on 24/7 Wall’s list of “Twelve Major Brands That Will Disappear,” is exploring what we would miss as a result of some of brands’ demise.  Today, it’s Crocs.

Yes, Crocs — those so-ugly-they’re-pretty shoes that were all the rage a couple of years ago.  24/7 Wall reports, “In the fourth quarter of 2008, Crocs lost $43 million after making $55 million in the same period the year before…Crocs won’t make it through the year.”

How disappointing!  I would miss Crocs for 3 reasons:

1.  That such an “hideous” shoe (as it was deemed by critics like the ones who launched the ihatecrocs.com website) could become so popular defied logic and proved that age-old maxim that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” still holds true.  Although I never took to the shoes myself, I was inspired by the brand’s boldness to declare “Ugly can be beautiful” in their ads.

2.  Crocs defied the typical trajectory of fashion brands, and in doing so challenged the way trends develop.  The brand first took off in the midwest and then, much to the chagrin of many fashionistas, spread to the coasts.  And the brand’s popularity lasted far longer than critics expected.  I consider Crocs a maverick brand.

3.  The brand has so much potential.  Crocs’ product values (lightweight, comfortable, fashionable, affordable price) combined with the company’s operational design (short manufacturing lead times enables them to quickly meet changing customer demand) makes the brand perfectly poised to capture and maintain consumer appeal.

How about you?  Are you sorry to see Crocs go, or are you sighing a “good riddance?”  Please comment.  Next up:  Palm.