There are plenty of questionable examples of companies shoehorning useless artificial intelligence features into their products (Meta’s AI-powered profiles say hello!), but finally, Crocs has found one that actually makes sense. The casual footwear brand has partnered with ABLO, an AI fashion design platform, to let people use AI to design their own Jibbitz charms.
Crocs are already all about customization, a strategy that’s helped the brand grow its revenue 4% over last year. Jibbitz charms, which can be plugged into the holes on the shoes’ upper and heel strap, add an extra layer of personalization, and AI takes that to the next level.
“We have Jibbitz for everyone—from teachers to gamers to healthcare workers—and we are now giving our fans the option to design one-of-a-kind charms using ABLO’s AI technology, taking customization to the next level,” Crocs brand president Anne Mehlman tells Fast Company.
ABLO’s platform lets users either upload a photo or enter a text prompt and then choose from different art styles to create their custom Jibbitz design before proceeding to the Crocs website for purchase. ABLO’s platform is built on Story Layer-1 blockchain, which was designed to tokenize and automatically add attribution to intellectual property. That allows creators to protect and profit off their work even while making it free to remix, and it means IP owners can sell their own Jibbitz designs with licensing terms and provenance already embedded.
Crocs says Jibbitz consumers are among their most valuable, and on the company’s most recent earnings call, CEO Andrew Rees says introducing fresh new Jibbitz products and getting them to market faster are among their strategic priorities for 2025. AI-generated Jibbitz certainly fits within that plan.
“Jibbitz have always been a fun way for everyone to express their personality,” Michael Scarpellini, head of partnerships at Space Runners, which operates ABLO, said in a statement. “With ABLO, we’re giving them the freedom to take personalization to the next level, letting their creativity shine on every pair of Crocs.”
While Jibbitz charms come in all shapes and sizes, ABLO’s AI-generated charms are currently limited to circles, like a button maker. Unfortunately, that means that custom fried chicken Jibbitz aren’t on the menu.
