T he flip-flop is an essential text of summer style. The Dalai Lama wears flip-flops. Surfers wear flip-flops. They are a beach classic, a staple of campsite shower blocks, non-negotiable after a pedicure. Like a pair of blue jeans or a cloth tote bag, they have a utility that transcends fashion.

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But when flip-flops step out of their lane – when they become a fashion shoe, a public-facing shoe – rather than a shoe you leave by the back door – they raise hackles. Every single time we get a heatwave, a lively debate about whether flip-flops are acceptable in the office follows, without ever being resolved. When Jennifer Lawrence wore flip-flops under her Dior gown on the Cannes red carpet in 2023, there was an outcry over the perceived flouting of the film festival’s “elegant footwear” policy.

More important than which kind is what towear with them. Noshell necklace, nosarong, definitely no piña colada

The price tag of this summer’s high-fashion flip-flops (a cool £690 for a suede pair with a platform by Phoebe Philo, £800 for a minimal black leather pair with contrast topstitching by The Row) has sparked outrage, even though you can’t buy much more than a bag charm from most luxury brands for under a grand these days.

It strikes me there are two things going on here. There is a piece about respect, and a piece about aesthetics. The informality of the flip-flop can trigger a what-is-the-world-coming-to outrage. For some, it is a slippery slope from wearing flip-flops anywhere but the beach to putting your feet up on the seat and playing music on your phone aloud on the train. Whereas for others the issue is visceral, not cultural. A lot of people are quite weird about feet. Either super grossed-out in general, or kind of into them, or with specific grooming standards that vary (some critics are horrified by chipped polish, while manky dried-out heels are a red line for others).

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Photograph: David Newby/The Guardian

The flip-flop last had a fashion moment in the 00s. Back then it was all about the Havaiana, the Brazilian plastic classic. A white Havaiana with a cute pair of denim cut-offs was very Kate-Moss-having-a-cigarette-outside-Ibiza-airport vibes. But in the following decade, as trainers and streetwear dominated, the slider (a chunky plastic mule sandal) emerged to become the sandal of a new generation. The slider looked right with athleisure. And as festival culture boomed, the slider became standard Glastonbury kit, a superior shower shoe to the flimsy flip-flop with its snappable toe post.

Once fashion began an excavation of Y2K, the flip-flop’s return was inevitable. But the flip-flop has returned under the umbrella of luxury minimalism. The proportions are solid, with thick soles and spongy padded straps. The fabrics are elevated: satin, leather, suede. The colour palette tends towards black, chocolate brown or butter yellow rather than tropical brights. This new flip-flop politely requests to be known by the name “thong sandal”.

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Jess Cartner-Morley on fashion: elegant but practical, capri pants are a perfect summer look Read more

But even more important than getting the right kind of flip-flops is wearing them in the right way. Which is to say, the Copenhagen way. Not beachy, but laid-back urban. The Copenhagen way to wear flip-flops is to treat them as a minimalist sandal. Think oversized trousers that skim the pavement, crisp poplin shirt; a slippery, elegant slip dress; or a chic co-ord. No shell necklace, no sarong, definitely no piña colada. When temperatures climb, fully enclosed shoes don’t just feel wrong, they also look wrong. Wearing flip-flops with trousers that kiss the floor allows some air to circulate and reveals just a touch of skin, which solves both problems at once. With a shorter hemline, heavy shoes are too clumsy, but a strappy sandal can look a little too buttoned-up. A flip-flop helps you look cool as well as feel it.

Neither side ever really wins the flip-flop debate. But truly great fashion items are not universally admired. They are loved by some, loathed by others and impossible to ignore. The flip-flop has spent decades proving that it belongs in that category. Whether it deserves a place in the office is another matter entirely.

Styling: Melanie Wilkinson. Styling assistant: Charlotte Gornall. Model: Maria Diaz at Milk. Hair and makeup: Sophie Higginson using Hair by Sam McKnight and Tom Ford Beauty. Earrings, £16, Accessorize. Jacket, £199, and shorts, £119, both Boden. Flip-flops, £55, Havaianas

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