Havaianas

If you were to walk up to a Brazilian and ask them what their country’s most famous exports are, they would probably respond with Carnival, football, Samba, and Havaianas. The latter has become a cultural icon — a flip-flop synonymous across the world with bright and beautiful designs, fashion-conscious collaborations, and summertime fun. There is a good chance that you, your dad, or your grandfather have even owned a pair at some point. Their flip-flops are staples constantly in rotation, in the same breath as Air Force Ones or Nike dunks, selling 220 million pairs in 2021. Their colorways are fit-friendly while also being unbelievably comfortable, thanks to their special and secretly guarded mixture of rubbers and EVA. At this point, Havaianas is a right of passage for those of you looking to add flip-flops to your wardrobe.

You can thank Havaianas for our obsession with flip-flops. Launching back in 1962, the Brazilian brand has been attributed with inventing the flip flop. Meaning “Hawaiians” in Portuguese, the footwear is based on the traditional Japanese sandal known as the Zori - whose soles were made of rice straw. Upon launch, the Havaianas quickly became a hit among the working class, with it believed that almost every worker in Brazil owned a pair.

Over the decades, the brand continued to explode in popularity following endorsements from footballers, celebrities, and musicians. Now in 60 countries worldwide, Havaianas is synonymous with streetwear thanks to a range of high-profile collaborators with brands and artists, which include Saint Laurent, Manolo Blahnik, mastermind Japan, BAPE, Paul Smith, and Mary Katrantzou.