Flip-flops are having a moment—and not just for their breezy convenience in scorching weather. Today, this humble footwear is transcending function, challenging sartorial norms, sparking cultural discourse, and redefining notions of luxury.
At Louis Vuitton’s Spring-Summer 2026 menswear show in late June, Pharrell Williams’ LV Flip sandals stole the spotlight: a plush suede and crocodile leather design with an exaggerated silhouette, styled with wide-leg trousers and deconstructed tailoring, signaling a shift in fashion’s attitude. Earlier that month, actor Jonathan Bailey turned heads at the Jurassic World: Rebirth premiere in London, pairing The Row’s $690 black flip-flops with slate-gray knits and flowing pants—a look that balanced nonchalance with sharp sophistication.
This revival extends far beyond runway shows or menswear. H&M’s latest sub-$40 flip-flop collection cleverly distills luxury aesthetics, while the Dolce & Gabbana x Havaianas collaboration—featuring animal prints and plush straps for men and women—sold out within 24 hours. Last month, Khloé Kardashian cemented the trend by wearing Chanel flip-flops to Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s Venice wedding. The resurgence is merely the latest chapter in the style’s enduring narrative.
Flip-flops boast a lineage far older than millennial beachwear or social media trends. Their earliest ancestors date back to ancient Egypt, where laborers and pharaohs alike wore papyrus sandals—evidenced by a 1500 BCE reed specimen at the British Museum and gilded ceremonial versions from Tutankhamun’s tomb. Similar designs evolved into Japanese zōri: flat sandals woven from rice straw, rushes, or even rawhide. Per The Textiles of Japan by the Victoria & Albert Museum, zōri ranged from humble hemp-rope soles to yuki snow sandals with rawhide bases and iron heels, all featuring fabric-wrapped toe straps called hanao. Though modern iterations have shortened the sole-to-heel distance, the core structure remains unchanged.
Post-WWII, U.S. soldiers brought zōri inspiration stateside. Rubber versions became ubiquitous, with the term flip-flop—coined in the 1950s, per Stewart Ross’ The Origin of Everything—mimicking their signature sound.
The 1960s rebranded flip-flops as emblems of California surf culture. Their affordability and ease made them summer staples worldwide: thongs in Australia, plakkies in South Africa, tsinelas in the Philippines. A pivotal moment came in 1962 when Brazil’s Alpargatas launched Havaianas, initially for laborers, with rice-patterned soles nodding to zōri. A 1969 production error accidentally birthed green straps, sparking the brand’s vibrant color palette. Today, Havaianas sells over 230 million pairs annually, owned by 94% of Brazilians.
Fashion’s flip-flop revolution began with The Row’s SS21 minimalist leather style (priced at $900), elevating them to luxury status. By SS25, they’d fully infiltrated high fashion, appearing at Alaïa, Sportmax, and Proenza Schouler.
Controversy erupted at Prada’s SS26 menswear show when T-strap designs resembling India’s heritage Kolhapuri sandals—handcrafted from sun-dried buffalo hide over two weeks—drew social media comparisons. Stylist Anaita Shroff Adajania and watchdog Diet Sabya highlighted the parallels. The Maharashtra Council later questioned Prada’s commercialization without attribution. While the brand pledged dialogue with Indian artisans, critics called the response overdue. The debate reignited global conversations about cultural credit in design.
Flip-flops have always carried layered narratives. The 2000s saw FitFlop’s biomechanical engineering promising posture benefits, even as podiatrists warned against flat soles. Environmental concerns also emerged, with PVC flip-flops clogging beaches and landfills. Brands like Havaianas now use recycled materials (with proceeds funding rainforest conservation), while others experiment with algae foam or biodegradable rubber. Per Polaris Market Research, the global flip-flop market hit $24 billion in 2025.
From pharaohs’ tombs to Milan runways and eco-labs, the flip-flop’s journey reflects cultural resilience. Whether crafted from crocodile leather or recycled rubber, paired with pleated trousers or tossed in a beach bag, they straddle comfort, identity, and self-expression—continuously reshaping fashion’s boundaries.
