I personally have never understood why these are so popular. The only reason I own a pair is because I used to work in a shoe shop a few years ago and was able to purchase a pair really cheap.

Havaiana is a brand that has been around since the 1960's, which for a company that sells only flipflops is a really long time! They sell themselves on being of a really high quality, and being comfortable to wear - and also coming in a very wide range of colours. But to me, its just a flip flop, and a very plain looking one at that.

The Appearance...

Havaianas are a very simple looking flip flop, but they do come in a very wide range of colours. The top normally tends to be once colour, then there are contrasting stripes that run around the sides of the sole. The straps that go from between your toe and across your feet have the word 'Havaianas' embossed along it. The unique feature about these is that the foot bed is covered in a textured rice pattern, which comes from the shoes which they were originally inspired by - Zori (japanese sandals made with fabric straps and rice straw soles).

The Fit....

I will admit they are comfy, although the sole is quite thin it is very spongy and has a thicker bit on the bottom of the heel which is where you need it most, and they are quite bouncy when you walk in them aswell. The toe bit does chaffe a little though as with all flip flops, but that is just down to the fact that I very rarely wear flip flops so my feet just arent used to it. The other redeeming feature about these is that they dont wear away easily, I find that with a lot of flip flops - as they are made with a spongy material - tend to wear away on the sole very quickly - I havent had this problem with my Havaianas.

Overall/My Opinion...

Despite all this I really dont understand the Havaiana craze. Although they are high quality, to me it is just a flip flop, and for a flip flop I find them to be incredibly over priced. The lowest price you can normally find these for is around £22, which for a very plain looking flip flop is a lot of money to pay. As the only clue that these are Havaianas is from the embossed lettering across the straps, from a distance they just look like everyday cheap flip flops. As it is not something I wear that often I wouldnt want to spend that much money on a pair either. They are not very girly or feminine either, so I couldnt wear them with pretty dress in the summer, I would want something a bit more feminine or spangly - which I could probably find for half the price. I kno they are very popular with students, I often see students walking around (no matter whether its summer or winter) wearing Jack Wills joggers and a hoody and a pair of Havaiana flip flops (dont even get me started on that specific fashion trend).

So, overall I wouldnt recommend these. I admit they are good quality and they are comfy, but for me they are just far too expensive for a very average looking flip flop. I do like that they come in a wide range of colours - but so do £2 flip flops from Primark. Lets be honest, its just a flip flop, its a cheap bit of rubber with a cheap bit of plastic to hold it to your feet - theres no need to be charging people £22 and above just for the Havaiana brand name!