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John McCarvel, 55, CEO of Crocs, talks about how the 10-year-old company's lightweight clogs and other footwear are finding their niche in more 90 countries. His answers were edited for clarity and space. Q: You were named CEO in February 2010, at a time when the company's sales were plummeting. What was your priority as CEO? A: You're transitioning from the original founders and management team. The challenge is, how do you build the same culture of trust that the original founders and management had? New innovative product was (also) key. We've expanded into work shoes, into women's casual shoes. We have over 325 styles. Q: Crocs' signature clogs are not known for being the prettiest footwear. Why do you think they caught on? A: Comfort. We think the comfort of the product is what really sold people to try them. We had our early tag line, "You've got to try them on." Once people put them on their feet, the ugly factor kind of went out the door. Q: The popularity of the clogs...