Crocs, Inc. Announces New Bistro Mario Batali Shoe

NIWOT, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Crocs, Inc. (NASDAQ: CROX), pioneer of a new breed of comfort footwear, today announced world-class chef and author Mario Batali has endorsed its new Bistro shoe. The new model, designed for restaurant and food service industry professionals, offers workplace comfort and features a special slip-resistant design. Retailers can view the new shoe, along with two other new Crocs™ Work shoe models, the Specialist and Specialist Vent, by visiting the Crocs booth, #6051, at the National Restaurant Association Show at Chicago’s McCormick Place May 19-22, 2007.

“Mario has been a long-time fan and a visible supporter of Crocs shoes, and his endorsement further validates the benefits of Crocs shoes for the restaurant and food service industry.”

“Crocs is very excited to announce the partnership with celebrity chef Mario Batali and the new Bistro shoe model,” said Ron Snyder, CEO of Crocs. “Mario has been a long-time fan and a visible supporter of Crocs shoes, and his endorsement further validates the benefits of Crocs shoes for the restaurant and food service industry.”

“It’s not hard to see that I’m a supporter of Crocs, given that I wear them on a daily basis. The new Bistro model brings functionality for the kitchen to the equation producing a product that I am happy to support,” said Batali.

The partnership with Chef Batali, who owns close to 50 pairs of the signature orange Beach model, will include ongoing appearances, testimonials and signature recipes posted to www.crocs.com. Perhaps most well-known for his role on Food Network’s wildly popular Iron Chef America, and his own series, Molto Mario, Batali is also the author of five cookbooks and owner of an ever-growing empire of 11 restaurants in New York City, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Batali is especially fond of the new Bistro shoe because it offers high comfort to workers in the restaurant and food service industry, while it is specially designed to meet workplace standards with a closed heel. In addition to its special slip-resistant design, the shoe also features a thicker metatarsal area to help protect the top of the foot, as well as a supportive arch and foot bed circulation nubs to ensure all-day comfort. The exclusive Croslite™ material conforms to the foot creating a custom fit and the added looseness allows the foot to bend and expand naturally to reduce fatigue. All of the new models are odor- and bacteria-resistant and can be simply sterilized in clean water and bleach.

The Bistro (MSRP: $39.99) will be available in Mario Batali’s signature orange color, as well as in black, chocolate, navy, red, and white. The Bistro will be available to retailers in late summer 2007 in women’s sizes 6-12 and men’s sizes 4-13.

About Crocs, Inc.:

Crocs, Inc. is a rapidly growing designer, manufacturer and retailer of footwear for men, women and children under the Crocs™ brand.

All Crocs™ brand shoes feature Crocs’ proprietary closed-cell resin, Croslite™, which represents a substantial innovation in footwear. The Croslite™ material enables us to produce soft, comfortable, lightweight, superior-gripping, non-marking and odor-resistant shoes. These unique elements make Crocs™ footwear ideal for casual wear, as well as for professional and recreational uses such as boating, hiking, hospitality and gardening. The versatile use of the material has enabled us to successfully market our products to a broad range of consumers.

In 2006, the company acquired Jibbitz LLC, a unique accessory brand with colorful snap-on products specifically suited for Crocs shoes. Today, more than 1,100 Jibbitz designs are available to consumers for personalizing and customizing their Crocs™ footwear.

Crocs™ are sold in more than 80 countries and come in a wide array of colors and styles. Please visit www.crocs.com for additional information.

About Mario Batali:

With 11 restaurants, five cookbooks and a host of television shows, including the ever-popular Iron Chef America, Mario Batali is arguably one of the most recognized and respected chefs working in America today. This, combined with his larger-than-life personality, is the reason that he has received accolades like GQ Magazine’s Man of the Year and the James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef.

He has been profiled by such publications as Time Magazine, Life Magazine and The New Yorker and is a frequent guest on national television shows like Good Morning America and Live! with Regis and Kelly. In 2005, his fan-base grew dramatically when he published Mario Tailgates NASCAR Style, the first-ever cookbook for NASCAR fans.