California almond production and global Crocs sales, both climbing. Two completely unrelated American agricultural and footwear stories, sharing a window because the same eighteen years rewarded both a Central Valley crop and a foam clog company. The 2010s were broad-minded.
California almond production roughly doubled across this window as growers replanted to higher-density orchards and the global plant-milk and snack-nut boom drove demand. Crocs sales grew from a few million pairs in 2005 to over 130 million by 2022 as the brand recovered from its mid-2010s near-bankruptcy through clever licensing collaborations and the post-2020 ugly-shoe-aesthetic comeback. Two completely unrelated growth stories sharing a window because the same eighteen years rewarded both a Mediterranean-style nut crop and a polarising shoe brand.
Two unlikely industries both compounded. The almond and the foam clog, both more numerous than seemed plausible.
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Want to learn more about why correlations like “Crocs sold worldwide” vs “California almond production” don't prove causation? Read our guide to statistical thinking.