The rise of the controversial $690 flip flop
Summary
Thong sandals, typically reserved for beaches and gym showers, are suddenly the it-shoe of summer. Luxury versions have flooded the market—and sparked debate.
Everyone’s in a tizzy over flip flops. The humble slide—so essential in Brazil that it’s considered an inflation-protected necessity, like beans and rice—is transcending its utilitarian roots to become the it-shoe of the moment. Some luxury brands are charging over $1,000 for a pair of thong sandals that aren’t exactly office-appropriate.
“Classic rubber flip flops are the shoe of the summer," said Christina “Tinx" Najjar, a Los Angeles and New York influencer whose first novel, “Hotter in the Hamptons," comes out May 6.
But must they be fancy?
As a flip-flop devotee, Najjar has versions from both Havaianas, the Brazilian budget standby, as well as luxury thong sandals from The Row.
“I completely understand why they’re so divisive," she said of the designer pair. She was initially reluctant to spend the money on them but was relieved to find she wore them constantly.
While Havaianas (which made its debut in 1962 and were inspired by Japanese Zori sandals) are still a go-to worldwide, the flip-flop market has exploded in recent years. Designer thong sandals were already a thing in the ’90s, when Jean Paul Gaultier collaborated with Havaianas and Calvin Klein sent them down the runway.
Today’s resurgence includes popular styles like Toteme’s croc-effect leather thong ($480), A.Emery’s simple leather Kinto slide (around $170), The Row’s haute-rubber Dune sandal ($690) and Bottega Veneta’s $1,000-plus options. Some are visibly luxe, like Bottega’s leather-and-chain braided Dot version, while the Dune is made of humble cotton grosgrain and rubber. Fans say the just-so design of higher-end models is worth the price.
Najjar’s flip-flop style icon is Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, who wore simple black thongs with her Calvin Klein-heavy wardrobe in the 1990s. The new wave of flip-flop it-girls are channeling that era’s styling: minimalist designer suits and slacks rendered a little more casual with the most casual of shoes. When the former French Vogue chief Emmanuelle Alt was a young fashion editor at 20 Ans magazine in the ’90s, she published a list of her essential items. Alongside a Rolex watch and Helmut Lang slacks are black plastic flip flops: “They’re easy, chic and sexy," she wrote.
Today, pretty much every Pinterest-drunk influencer from Cartagena to Copenhagen is attempting the same tailoring and flip-flop outfits that rose to prominence in the ’90s. The idea is to turn a basic into an intentional look—less “I’m going to the pool" and more “I’m going to Nobu."
If you’re not Zoë Kravitz, striking that balance can be tricky. The blogger Sarah Knuth posted a video of her flip-flopped feet with the caption: “When you wear your little black flip flops in a Mary-Kate Olsen, ‘Sex and the City,’ casual chic way and not a dorm shower, lazy girl way."
Flip-flop proponents caution that even with high-end versions, well-groomed feet are essential. “You definitely want to have a good pedicure," said Dawn Klohs, co-owner of the A’maree’s luxury boutique in Newport Beach, Calif., which does a brisk business in flip flops. “And good heels. There’s nothing worse than someone’s heels that aren’t pedicured also."
When and where flip flops are appropriate is a city-to-city question. Linoy Friedman of What People Wear, who photographs street style around the world, said that when she had recently traveled to Copenhagen, nearly every girl was wearing Havanas. It’s a look that felt familiar to her because growing up in Tel Aviv, thongs were everywhere. When she first arrived in New York City, people would tell her, “You can’t ever wear flip flops around here. It’s disgusting."
Though the shoes are more accepted, and even considered chic, on today’s city streets, many draw the line at corporate offices, the vermin-infested subway and more formal evenings.
“I don’t want to see the dogs out at a black-tie event," Najjar said.
Designer Anna McLaren also grew up wearing flip flops everywhere in Australia. So when she created her Melbourne brand A.Emery, it was a no-brainer to include an elevated leather thong that she knew she’d wear every day herself. She said “it just kind of ticked along" until last year when it “all of a sudden went boom." Today, she can’t keep her leather thong styles in stock. “It’s our bestseller and has been getting quite a bit of buzz." The shoes, which sell internationally and are frequently sold out on Net-a-Porter and Mytheresa, seem to be hitting the sweet spot for women who are ready to graduate from a casual flip-flop but don’t want to spend over $500 for luxury models.
At A’maree’s, the highest-end flip flops are a hit. The Californian boutique, which was one of the first retailers to carry The Row, is perfectly placed in the Venn diagram overlap between “casual" and “rich." The Row’s Dune flip-flop is flying off the shelves, along with similarly high-end models from Marsèll and Phoebe Philo.
Klohs said The Row’s Dune would sell out this season: “We wish we could have more."
When two shoppers wandered into the store while we were chatting, Klohs asked them about their thoughts on the fancy flip-flop. The women said they were “all for it." Klohs agreed, “It’s a good investment, especially when you’re putting on the same shoe every day."
She asked the well-heeled shoppers what they thought of the Dune’s $690 price tag.
“That’s not bad," one woman answered. “I thought it was more!"
Write to Rory Satran at rory.satran@wsj.com
