Flip-flops have returned as a fashion item, but wearing them requires careful consideration of style and context. The versatile sandal, once relegated to beaches and showers, is now appearing on runways and city streets, yet it continues to spark debate about appropriateness and aesthetics.
The Flip-Flop's Dual Nature
Love them or hate them, flip-flops are an essential text of summer style. The Dalai Lama wears them, surfers wear them, and they are a beach classic and a staple of campsite shower blocks. Like blue jeans or a cloth tote bag, their utility transcends fashion. However, when flip-flops step out of their lane—becoming a public-facing shoe rather than one left by the back door—they raise hackles. Every heatwave reignites the unresolved debate about whether flip-flops are acceptable in the office. When Jennifer Lawrence wore flip-flops under her Dior gown on the Cannes red carpet in 2023, there was an outcry over the perceived flouting of the film festival’s “elegant footwear” policy.
Luxury Flip-Flops Spark Outrage
The price tag of this summer’s high-fashion flip-flops has sparked outrage. A suede pair with a platform by Phoebe Philo costs £690, while a minimal black leather pair with contrast topstitching by The Row is £800. This backlash occurs even though most luxury brands sell little more than a bag charm for under a grand these days.
According to Jess Cartner-Morley, there are two issues at play: respect and aesthetics. The informality of the flip-flop can trigger a “what-is-the-world-coming-to” outrage. For some, it is a slippery slope from wearing flip-flops anywhere but the beach to putting feet up on seats and playing music aloud on the train. For others, the issue is visceral—many people are weird about feet, either grossed out or with specific grooming standards. Critics are horrified by chipped polish or manky dried-out heels.
The Flip-Flop's Return: From Havaianas to Luxury Minimalism
The flip-flop last had a fashion moment in the 2000s, dominated by the Havaiana, the Brazilian plastic classic. A white Havaiana with denim cut-offs evoked Kate Moss having a cigarette outside Ibiza airport. But in the following decade, as trainers and streetwear dominated, the slider—a chunky plastic mule sandal—emerged as the sandal of a new generation. The slider looked right with athleisure and became standard Glastonbury kit, a superior shower shoe to the flimsy flip-flop with its snappable toe post.
Once fashion began an excavation of Y2K, the flip-flop’s return was inevitable. However, this time it has returned under the umbrella of luxury minimalism. The proportions are solid, with thick soles and spongy padded straps. The fabrics are elevated: satin, leather, suede. The colour palette tends towards black, chocolate brown or butter yellow rather than tropical brights. This new flip-flop politely requests to be known by the name “thong sandal”.
The Copenhagen Way: How to Wear Flip-Flops Right
Even more important than getting the right kind of flip-flops is wearing them in the right way—the Copenhagen way. Not beachy, but laid-back urban. The Copenhagen approach is to treat flip-flops as a minimalist sandal. Think oversized trousers that skim the pavement, a crisp poplin shirt, a slippery elegant slip dress, or a chic co-ord. No shell necklace, no sarong, definitely no piña colada. When temperatures climb, fully enclosed shoes feel and look wrong. Wearing flip-flops with trousers that kiss the floor allows air to circulate and reveals just a touch of skin, solving both problems. With a shorter hemline, heavy shoes are too clumsy, but a strappy sandal can look too buttoned-up. A flip-flop helps you look cool as well as feel it.
The Debate Continues
Neither side ever really wins the flip-flop debate. But truly great fashion items are not universally admired. They are loved by some, loathed by others, and impossible to ignore. The flip-flop has spent decades proving that it belongs in that category. Whether it deserves a place in the office is another matter entirely.
