On the last day of school every year, Mom would take me to the neighborhood five-and-dime to buy that summer's pairs of flip-flops. They probably cost a buck each, no more than two, and I usually went through two or three a summer. Hence it blow s my thirtysomething mind that virtually the same footwear--albeit with a designer name and the occasional suede upper attached--now fetches boutique prices approaching $40. They're flip-flops, people! I checked out the newest crop to see if we've come very far from the arch-less, totally lacking-in-support seasonal convenience I credit with the development--thanks to summers spent running around with that little piece of rubber wedged between my big and second toes--of my ability to pick up coins with my toes.
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The Criteria
Converse "One-Star Sandal Update"
Price: $37
Ergonomics: Molded toe separator supplants flip-flop toe-wedge for comfy grip.
Speed: You'll never miss the ice cream truck in these babies--they've got treads!
Design Inspiration: Remember the shoes all the monkeys wore in "Planet of the Apes"?
Bonus: They feel like sneakers--with the toes and heels cut out.
Tommy Hilfiger "Peel"
