Finally! Flip flops pass the summer fashion test
SoMeThInG extraordinary has been going on in the world of footwear for the past few years.
The athletic pool slider (once the sole provenance of swimming instructors and hip-hop stars) is now very much an everywoman fashion thing.
Crocs — yes, Crocs! — appeared on Christopher Kane’s fashion runway in 2016. To be fair, they were bedazzled in rhinestones, but it made the kind of bold, rule-breaking statement that no one really expected to last.
Then came old-school ‘ugly trainers’ with big, fat soles (thank you Louis Vuitton); followed by the beatification of the Birkenstock as a fashion classic. Is there no footwear taboo left, you may ask yourselves?
Well, yes, in fact there is — flip flops.
I know you have a pair — or, like me, maybe six, in various states of rubbery distress to be pulled out for beach holidays, pedicures and highheelbreaking- in- the- office type emergencies.
What you may not be aware of is that flip flops are experiencing a fashion renaissance.
You scoff? May I refer you to the summer gorgeousness of Michael Kors’s S/S 18 show, which opened with Carolyn Murphy in a tie-dye surfer girl dress — a humble pair of nude flip flops on her feet.
FAShIonis a fascinating social barometer, of course. And the reviving fortunes of flip flops along with all the above (shared common factor: comfort) tells us much about modern women’s empowerment and how weary we are of unwalkable heels.
It wasn’t so many years ago that a designer shoe company sent my desk a Christmas present of sky-high, towellingcovered, thong-toed ‘pedicure wedges’, to ensure that even at the spa it was possible to walk in ‘Barbie-toed’ high, high heels at all times.
So let us praise the return of the flip flop to our everyday closets, even while we acknowledge that they are probably not the ideal choice for an big business meeting.
In reality, flip flops are better saved for the weekend, accessorised with a mid- calf silk shirt dress and a tan. The watchword here is to keep your look sleek, grown-up and pulled-together (as opposed to looking like you’ve wandered in from the garden).
It makes all the sense in the world that flip flops should find a place in our hearts again, during our never-ending heatwave. This has also been the summer of the floor-length, floral maxi-dress, of course.
Some of the chicest summer party-goers have been rocking their floaty designer numbers with nought more fancy than a pair of flip flops. Less likely to get stuck in the lawn than a pair of needle-thin stilettos, to be sure, but still — bold!
It’s also a very LA look, of course. Think starlet walking down Melrose Avenue in a maxi- dress with leather flip flops (Monsoon’s gold ‘Chloe’ style captures this look perfectly, £29, monsoon.co.uk).
The great thing about wearing flip flops with a long dress is that it takes it down a notch from ‘prissy’ to ‘everyday’ and allows you to get so much more wear out of your dreamy summer purchases.
Much as I love a bit of sparkle, there’s something to be said for the ‘less-is-more’ approach to your flip-flop choice. I’ve just discovered new brand Tkees which creates pared- back leather flip flops in every skin tone, designed to ‘disappear’ and fit in with whatever you happen to be wearing (nudes, £38, tkees.com).
‘Sandals for those who don’t want to overthink it’ says their website. Sounds like a good summertime mantra to me.