We’ve all appreciated the blue skies with chirping birds and the plummeting pollution levels, but I also cannot wait to get out and get some new gear once all this is over. Yeah, so much for learning the value of time and company and the hollowness of material pursuits. So, for all those who still feel materially minded despite all the yoga detoxification, I have put together a list of stylish slippers, flips, and slides for all budgets and design preferences that you may want to check out once we are allowed to shop again, even if it is online.
BIRKENSTOCK
The cult of open-toe footwear is finally in India and this will be their first summer here so let’s give them a nice “warm” welcome by making their Arizona ubiquitous. The camo version is high on my list, as is a micro-fibre model called Rotterdam (which was also revisited by Rick Owens no less, for their more prestigious 1774 collection). They aren’t cheap but they are also sturdy. Maybe too sturdy, in fact, because they will never break down on you. So choose wisely, because you will be sporting them for a really long time
HAVAIANAS
There is never a wrong time to buy a pair but this year, the popular slipper brand has got some very new designs under their belt, which include some very slick rubber slides and a model called Power that has an ergonomically shaped footbed to align with vital pressure points for comfort. Both models have rubber soles, and the classic rice grain pattern on the upper surface. Definitely a break from their usual fare, which too, by the way, will have new iterations being launched alongside.
CROCS
The original rubber clog brand has some pretty cool tiedye patterned slides and flips. There is also a rainbow series in all the popping hues plastered prominently. The clogs have more variety by way of prints but for me, tie-dye versions will be in this season, as other brands too will be getting behind this design trend.
MOCHI
A homegrown brand that does some classic designs in blacks and browns, mostly aimed at the not-so-experimental type. This is for someone who wants leather and simple yet elegant styling. Why I mention them here is because they fared well on my value-comfort scale.
ADIDAS YEEZY
Anything Kanye touches seems to turn to gold, at least on the flip market. His versions of slides (simple dubbed, Yeezy Slides) were the textbook definition of drab. Americans likened it to prison slippers but then they certainly have higher standards, and yet, when they released, they sold out faster than ice cream on a hot day at the beach. While I am still not tempted to buy them, if you happen to pursue pop culture, like the paparazzi, be ready for when the next ones drop; you will have about two seconds to buy them. We may be living under a metaphoric rock, but it is no longer a reason to remain uninformed.
