Shoe blog

Focus on the brand: Switchflops

The humidity is climbing here in the Northeast, and summer has officially arrived. This means flip flop season.

Now, generally I’m not a huge fan of flip flops. They don’t have much support, the straps always tend to tear up my feet in one spot or another, and I’m not much of a beachy surfer style girl.

But I’ve been won over by Switchflops.

Because all of a sudden, there’s a flip flop that’s customizable.

Yep, these summer sandals have velcro that lets you remove one set of straps and switch it out for another, depending on your mood. So you start out with the sole you like best (choose from the standard flip flop, a wedge, or a kitten heel, and from brown, black, beige, or navy)

then (and here’s the fun part) choose whatever set or sets of straps you want, and mix and match to your heart’s content. You can do everything from team spirit with striped ribbons like the Parker (in my high school colors of maroon and gold)

to a July 4th barbecue with the Jackie

to a pretty darn upscale, classy looking flip flop with the Chloe

to the classic beachy look with the Isabel.

Really, the options are pretty endless. Well, actually, they’re not endless, but since there are almost 500 different possible combinations, they might as well be. And since each set of straps is only $10 and has such a cute variety of buttons and patterns, you can go wild without breaking the bank. Plus, you can test out different strap/sole combinations on the web site.

Who created such a fabulously customizable line? Lindsay Phillips, who is only 23 and came up with the idea originally in her high school ceramics class. She offers a great demo video on the Switchflops site that shows you exactly how easy it is to change out the straps.

I tested out the classic flop sole, and after several promenades and rounds of errand running in several different sets of straps, I have to say I’m pleasantly surprised. The soles aren’t cheap, as flip flops go (they range from $32 for the flat flop to $47 for the kitten heel), but the price is worth it for the quality of the materials, which is higher than most cheap flip flops out there. The foam of the sole is nice and bouncy, and gives you good cushioning when you walk. And the thong and underlying straps (the ones that are attached to the shoes and don’t change) are positioned just right, so they don’t cut into your feet.

Seriously, I don’t think I’ve ever had this much fun wearing flip flops. There’s a definite thrill to deciding which strap to use on any given day, and they’re fun shoes to stick on summertime feet. Never again shall my flip flops be consigned to the heading of “Shoes to be Worn Only When Returning from Pedicures.”