Crocs CMO Carly Gomez is all about Labubu dolls, fashion Substacks and a drawer full of socks
Welcome to “What’s In Your Cart,” a Modern Retail series where executives at some of the world’s biggest brands and retail companies tell us about their personal shopping habits — from their favorite finds and guilty shopping pleasures to their most regrettable buys and impulse purchases. We last spoke with Meenakshi Lala, CEO of the flower delivery company UrbanStems. Up next is Carly Gomez, chief marketing officer at Crocs.
As chief marketing officer at Crocs, Carly Gomez oversees marketing for one of the footwear industry’s most recognizable brands. She joined the company last year after spending about 16 years at Vans, where she held a variety of roles across merchandising, direct-to-consumer and global marketing. She later spent a year and a half at Fabletics before returning to the footwear industry.
Gomez spends her days thinking about how consumers discover new products, and her own shopping habits offer a glimpse into how that process works in practice.
A frequent shopper, Gomez finds inspiration in a mix of sources. Every Sunday morning, she catches up on fashion-focused Substack newsletters. During the week, she scrolls TikTok Shop, where creators regularly introduce her to brands she hasn’t seen before. Even as a longtime marketer, Gomez admits she’s easily influenced by a good recommendation.
“I actually find the funniest thing about myself is that I’m a marketer that knows that I’m being marketed to by influencers, and I’m still just like, ‘I have to have this,’” Gomez said.
Here’s what’s in her cart.
Sunday morning fashion research
Before Gomez buys something new, she often hears about it from someone else first. These days, that usually means a fashion writer. She spends part of nearly every Sunday morning catching up on the Substack newsletters she follows. Among her favorites are Magasin and a newsletter from Who What Wear co-founder Hilary Kerr. Between them, Gomez gets a steady stream of product recommendations and outfit ideas.
The newsletters have become one of her go-to sources for shopping inspiration. Right now, she’s gravitating toward ’90s-inspired fashion and pieces that remind her of what she wore growing up. Her online carts currently include Agolde jeans, Ganni sweaters and several items from Zara. “From a trend perspective, definitely like a lot of ’90s-inspired things, like things that I wore in high school,” she said.
TikTok Shop temptations
Crocs is one of the most prominent brands on TikTok Shop, and it’s also where Gomez does much of her shopping. She said she uses the platform regularly and often discovers products through creators she follows. One of her favorite recent finds is a small heart-shaped purse light that clips inside her handbag. Gomez bought it after realizing she was constantly digging through her purse looking for her keys and other essentials.
Not every purchase is a hit. Recently, Gomez bought a blush after seeing someone she follows use it online. The results were not quite what she had hoped. “It looked amazing on her, terrible on me,” Gomez said.
Labubus and lots of socks
Gomez has a soft spot for collectibles.
Gomez currently owns four of the viral Labubu plush toys, which surged in popularity last year. Like most Labubu enthusiasts, she likes to sport them on her bag and even dress them up with their own mini bags, clothes and accessories. She sees their appeal as part of a broader desire among consumers to express their personalities through the things they own. “I feel like there’s a story with things,” she said, noting that Labubus help people signal who they are and avoid “being like everybody else.”
As a longtime footwear executive, it’s probably no surprise that Gomez often builds an outfit around her shoes. “I start from the feet up,” she said. “I’m like, what Crocs am I going to wear today? What Jibbitz am I going to put in there? And then start thinking about, like, OK, what jeans go with this?”
That might explain why she’s also a collector of socks. Her current favorites come from Le Bon Shoppe and Aritzia. Most days she sticks to white, black or navy. Other days call for something brighter, like a pair of pink daisy socks she recently wore.
Guilty pleasures
While footwear comes with the territory at Crocs, jewelry has become a particular passion. Gomez sports multiple ear piercings and says she’s quickly running out of space for new additions.
One recent favorite is a tiny stud earring from jewelry designer Maria Tash. For Gomez, the purchase is sentimental. Every year, Gomez and her best friend spend a day together having tea before heading to Maria Tash to get new piercings.
“It just reminds me of her, and of the moment, and of the fun,” Gomez said.