While the end of summer and vacation is usually a painful time – leaving us in a state of disarray not unlike that of an ecru linen suit the morning after a grape harvest festival – this year it felt more like a true liberation. After weeks spent unwillingly observing an excess of dirty feet, uneven nails, and toes that were too short, too long, or too hairy, the hope of a return to normalcy was finally within reach.
This past season was, indeed, the season of the flip-flop. Driven by global media hype, boosted by a host of celebrities and some particularly irritating micro-trends (most notably the excitement over a basic model sold for €780 by The Row), the success of this summer sandal – first developed by the Egyptians as early as 5,500 BCE – was such that it eclipsed the mule, which had been widely popular in recent years.
Lightweight and easy to wear, unaffected by water or sand, available in a multitude of colors and sometimes even beautifully crafted (the models from Rondini or Island Slipper, designed in Saint-Tropez and the Hawaiian island of Oahu, respectively, are quite respectable examples), the flip-flop has qualities that make it indispensable in the right vacation setting. On the beach, it even offers unmatched freedom of movement. That is precisely the point at issue.
A multitude of hazards
Just as a quick-drying swim trunk – no matter how stylish or practical – will never be a proper city short, mainly due to its inner mesh lining being incompatible with underwear, flip-flops will never be appropriate for city life, and not just for aesthetic reasons. Unlike the mule, which covers the toes, the flip-flop leaves them exposed to a host of hazards inherent to urban living.
For example, walking in flip-flops on pavement offers, all at once, the chance to stub your toe against a raised cobblestone, to wedge some kind of debris under your nail, to watch stagnant water from a surprise puddle roll along your arch, or to fall while trying to run after your accelerating bus – all under the gaze of onlookers alerted by the slap of your flip-flop against the pavement. The verdict? Don’t hesitate: put them away.
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