Havaianas flip flops, the history of the most famous slippers in history

Icons of the shore (or pool) today are socially acceptable even in the city, with all due respect to bourgeois which prevents knocking slap in the face, in their opinion, is tolerable only at home or a little more. Tom Ford, for example, said then that he would not even let himself be buried in slippers. However, the idiosyncratic model has been reaping the rewards since its birth: Hawaiianas. It doesn’t matter if it’s shiny, iridescent, floral or animalistic. You wear them and it’s summer right away; time of ease (mind and wrong) and aperitifs on the beach. Their origin? In the sixties, to be exact in 1962, in Brazil. However, inspiration comes from the other side of the globe. unknown manager Alpargatas (or who for him, the name, if any, is kept secret, because success is such only if it is shared), during a trip to Japan, he stumbles upon one or another shoe model, namely dawns Japanese sandals made of rice straw and strips of fabric, durable but fresh and, most importantly, cheap. Breaking the dead end of durability – natural materials, no matter how noble, are ill-suited to the humid and tropical climate of Brazil – is born here first flip flop Rubber (a great resource of the South American state) which are labeled with the name of the most famous tourist resort of the time: Hawaii.

This is how the Hawaiians were born, distributed throughout the state by means that are the very myth of the sixties, namely T1 or T2better known as the Volkswagen hippie wanderer minivan.

Success. Practical, convenient and inexpensive. The Brazilians love them, and for two years there wasn’t a single worker left who didn’t wear them. Bingo Proof; fakes that make Alpargatas, Havaianas sporting goods company, to an upgraded two-tone design, textured strap and rice grain insole. But too much, you know, spoils and The popularity of Havaianas flip flops in the 1980s was such that the Brazilian government included them in its list of essentials. (along with rice and beans, for example), ones that can be used even in times of inflation. Result? Slippers are no longer a fashion item, but a commodity, like canned food that can be bought on supermarket shelves. However, the unexpected happens here. If until then, in fact, Alpargatas produces a single model – Traditional with white soles and blue straps, still called by the Brazilians “Havaianas de pedreiro”, or “builder” – something changed in the nineties, thanks to a production bug that generates a batch of green slippers instead of the iconic two-tone ones. Boom! Everyone wants them and the chromatic spectrum expands to include an almost endless carousel of shades.

“The truth is, if you think about Hawaiianas you think of colors and that’s a power that very few brands have. They give a feeling of joy, warmth, relaxation. It’s like you closed your eyes and went back to when you were a child. It’s something very powerful.” Here it is – in the words of the released announcement high snobbery Fernanda Romano, Global Marketing Director of Havaianas- the eternal success of the Brazilian brand

. This, together with the association with the beach and summer, with that sunny and relaxed atmosphere that is associated with Brazil and therefore with iconic rubber slippers who were born here. A Democratic leader who, nevertheless, never ceases to enchant catwalks and celebrities…

From Jean Paul Gaultier to Valentino, from Angelina Jolie to Gwyneth Paltrow: Havaianas slippers between catwalks and superstars

The first to clear them in the upper echelons of fashion is him; L’terrible child french fashion Jean Paul Gaultier who had already put them on the podium in 1999. However, in 2011 it was the turn Missoni who signs the capsule of four models with the iconic zigzag, which is his hallmark. Then click to Valentinein 2014, which creates Havaianas camouflage print slippers and rockstadd, or with the addition of characteristic pyramid rivets to decorate the bands, for pretentious Cinderellas ready to shell out at the time from 190 to 600 euros (at this figure they are at least in leather). And generally speaking, even celebrities are fans of Havaianas.

Irreproachable Angelina Joliefor example, showing off them in the terminal of the Los Angeles airport, completely black, like the rest of the uniform (Saint Laurent), lit only by a maxi mint green stole. Gwyneth Paltrow, on the other hand, when she was still Mrs. Martin, she made it the banner of her daily uniform between shorts and a properly perforated zebra-striped T-shirt. As evidence of a connection with the star system, it is enough to recall that Havaianas was the sponsor of the Oscars night last March with all the actors and actresses nominated for a prize among Kado even the famous slippers. And today?

Summer 2023 is the time for Havaianas X Barbie Ferreira.star Euphoria which has the same exuberant Brazilian origins as the flip-flops, and the capsule can only be a homage to Rio de Janeiro, with warm tones of yellow, brown and green reminiscent of Brazilian architecture from the sixties and seventies. Moreover the brand turned 61 this year, everyone lived in great shape, referring to the joyful and laid-back style that determined its success

from the first moment. As the brand’s website says: “You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy Havaianas, and it’s sort of the same thing.”