Summer is here, which means it’s officially flip-flop season. Not the flimsy rubber pair that you once forgot in a hotel room, though.
Ever since The Row elevated the humble thong flat into an object of desire, designers have been working hard to prove the simplest sandal in your closet can also make a statement, playing fashion’s favourite game of elevating the humble everyday rubber sole to something more design-forward. Think jewellery-like charms, gleaming metallic hardware, and unexpected textures that give them enough personality to carry an outfit.
This summer, Isabel Marant has teamed up with Havaianas on a collection that brings tie-dye patterns and studs to the Brazilian staple, while the newly launched Ganni x Melissa collab is one that builds up an appetite, serving textured jelly flip-flops in juicy colours (and leopard print) with cute cherry and banana motifs on the sole. Other standouts include Christopher Esber’s and Balenciaga’s charm-adorned styles that could give your Pandora bracelet a run for its money, and Amanu’s sleek pair with gold and silver accents that feels nice enough to wear to dinner.
