If flip-flops are a little too advanced for your feet, try a canvas sneaker, fisherman sandal, or a no-frills rubber slide.
It’s hard to say for sure when shoes got so weird. Once Crocs became cool, though—followed, in no particular order, by water shoes, garden clogs, and the type of sandals your grandpa wears to the beach—it felt like a rubicon was crossed. We had reached the point of no return, and I, for one, was happy to be there.
I’m something of a shoe-sayer myself—a TikTok I watched recently noted that every shoe I’ve worn over the last 5 years will be “trending in 2025”—and I take my responsibilities as the office Shoestradumus seriously. I tell you this not to stroke my own ego or flex my bona fides, but as a polite warning: what I’m going to tell you next will probably make you mad.
Flip-flops are back, and they’re here to stay.
For years, flip-flops were banished from polite society, relegated to the beach, the boardwalk, and not many venues in between. But their return should only come as an especially nasty shock if you haven’t been paying attention. Y2K-era style is ascendant, and the hallmarks of once-bad taste that defined it no longer seem so pernicious. Savvy vintage dealers like The Society Archive are plumbing Abercrombie catalogs for inspiration; brands like ERL have turned the SoCal beach bum into an avatar of aspirational menswear once again.
The GQ squad clocked the beginning of the flop era a few years ago, and in the time since I’ve seen more exposed feet on the streets than ever before. Today, there’s a flip-flop for every buyer. Havianas still sells its no-frills rubber version for $20; the Row sells a similar riff for approximately 35 times that.
If this is alarming to you, it shouldn’t be. What, pray tell, are you so afraid of—that your feet will be perceived? Get over it. Look inward, and then downward. Chances are, your toes are clamoring for fresh air—bonus points if you score them a fresh pedicure, too. Save for going barefoot (definitely gross, probably dangerous), flip-flops are the least-precious way to free your piggies from the cage of societal expectation. I’ve been heeding my own advice for months, wearing flip-flops with jeans (raw, healthy break) and a windbreaker when the sun is shining but the air is brisk.
If that exact combination doesn’t sound like you, there are umpteen other ways to flop your way through summer. Wear yours with baggy jeans and a hoodie, or cargo shorts and a western shirt. Try a pair with flowy trousers and a linen button-up, or Carhartt double-knees and a thrashed tee, or pleated Issey Miyake pants and a fashion-y tank top. Free your toes and your mind will follow.
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