Everyone’s Obsessed With Havaianas—Here’s How They Went From Basic Flip-Flops to a Cult Fashion Purchase

Hands up, who can spell Havaianas without looking? If you’d asked me two years ago, there would have been far fewer a’s and a couple of extra i’s in my answer. But now? When I can’t walk down the high street, through the supermarket or into my nan’s house without seeing the rubber flip flop in every iteration of shade, I could probably spell it backwards.

The brand’s relentless staying power, despite now being 64 years old, is truly something to marvel at. If you can tell me another non-luxury label, aside from Levi’s, that has done the same with just one product, my inbox is open. So, we have to ask: what keeps them on top?

Just last week, at Copenhagen Fashion Week, the brand debuted a brand-new design, and a rather daring one at that: the Havaianas kitten heel. Picture an enclosed big toe but open other toes, and a kitten heel in a swathe of shades—white, lime green and black—spotted on key influencers across the event and on the Studio Constance runway. And with thousands of likes and comments across Instagram, they’ve clearly hit the mark.

Though not everyone's a fan. With such a divisive shape, the debate about whether they're actually wearable (or beautiful) is raging. And there’s one key catch: they aren’t actually available to buy yet. Sorry.

If you’re now thinking, but Havaianas only just collabed with Isabel Marant on a capsule summer collection? You’d be quite right. The coveted collection launched towards the end of May, spanning four flip flop designs that swiftly sold out and commanded many a fashion fan’s conversation in the process. And just before that, a Zara collab, with three slightly platform flip flops taking centre stage.

Then there was the House of Havaianas Hackney takeover on the 11th of July, bringing their Rio de Janeiro flair to East London with DJs, cocktails and, of course, flip flops. And, on top of that, there’s been no shortage of celebrity sightings in the favourite flip flops: Dua Lipa, Jennifer Aniston, Olivia Rodrigo and many more. Whether they’re paid placements or paying customers of the brand, we’ll probably never know, although I imagine it to be a mix of the two.

And, take a breath, that was in just one summer—and the season’s not yet over. The Havaianas marketing team are clearly working double time. Though this multifaceted marketing approach is far from new for the brand.

In 1999, the Brazilian sandal brand featured in Jean Paul Gaultier’s runway show, launching it into the fashion space. Then came collaborations with streetwear label A Bathing Ape, Farm Rio, Manolo Blahnik via Naomi Campbell, Gigi Hadid Saint Laurent and even computer game Minecraft and many more, aligning the label with often even bigger brands.

You see, Havaianas have a knack for always staying relevant, tapping into culturally relevant names and labels to reach new customer segments without ever straying too far from the original design. The core collection shifts only slightly to adapt to modern trends—just take a look at the square-toe design—all the while keeping the price of a pair of flip flops competitive enough to rival any high street store. Though my mum regularly likes to let me know she used to snap them up for less than £3.

So, there you have it: a great product and a forward-thinking marketing machine have gone a long way towards keeping Havaianas at the head of the flip flop game. Here’s to seeing whether the new kitten heel design, possibly the most daring yet, stands them in even better stead.

And if you already knew “Havaianas” means “Hawaiians” in Portuguese, chosen by the brand to evoke the feeling of an endless summer on the islands, hats off—you’re a true Havaianas mega-fan.

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