The Evolution of the “Flip-Flops”
Posted by Lauren | Under Filipino Culture, Random Thoughts with 3,988 views Thursday Aug 25, 2005
Of all the dumbest fads to hit the fashion world, Havaianas have to be somewhere at the top of the list. And in spite of the fact that I’d think you were a moron for buying one (especially if you’re from the Philippines), I can’t help wishing I’d thought of the concept first. Just get some ordinary thing nobody has ever looked at, have some Hollywood celebrity endorse it and–BAM. I’d be rich. Money for nothing.
For those of you who have been living in a cave for the past year, that’s a Havaianas sandal in the picture. Cute and beachy-looking as they are, a pair costs around $17 a pop (around 935 pesos). And it’s the price that makes me find the whole fad so dumb because Havaianas, no matter how you look at it, are basically the Filipino rubber tsinelas glorified.
What is this tsinelas, you ask? Well, they’re an indispensable part of Filipino culture. They’re basically Havaianas–rubber thong sandals (or slippers, as they’re called here)–except without the hisbiscus flowers and the exhorbitant price. Everyone who’s a Filipino has to have worn them at least once (before the Havaianas craze). When I was a kid wreaking havoc on the streets on my bike, I did it in my tsinelas. And so did my other childhood playmates. Nobody wore sneakers or anything; we just ran around and played our games in tsinelas. What’s incredibly interesting about this whole slipper fad is that two years ago, if you decided to wear tsinelas to a school like Ateneo, people would look down on you or think you were poor or something. Tsinelas are so cheap, even palengkeras and (most) street beggars can afford to wear them. Hell, before the tricycle ban in Katipunan, my school imposed a dress code on the tricycle drivers that could go in Ateneo, and one of the no-nos was–you guessed it–wearing of slippers. (So much for being “men and women for others”) Now everyone’s all “look at me, I’m so cool in my 900-peso flip-flops.”
It’s human stupidity at work. But like I said, I wish I had thought of the concept of making the tsinelas fashionable first. The Havaianas website says that the company has some sort of secret recipe for the rubber but there has to be some sort of Filipino equivalent to that which existed way before this silly fad. I mean, I’ve been wearing the same pair of non-Havaianas tsinelas for four years. Not only have I been wearing them; every now and then I use my poor slippers to whack the occassional ipis (cockroach) that crosses my path. And they’re still very functional.
Maybe it’s just me, but I would never wear tsinelas to school even if somebody gave me Havaianas for free. In the first place, my feet look incredibly disgusting, thanks to my stupid cat’s flea bites. Secondly, I’ve grown to associate my slippers as an informal, household item because I always wear them in the house. To wear tsinelas to school would just destroy the whole cosmic order of things. I don’t really dress up for school–I usually just go in jeans and a non-descript top–but wearing slippers to school is just not right. For me, anyway. Oh, I’m sure 900-peso tsinelas ought to feel comfortable, but there’s always Birkinstocks for that (yes, they’re four times as expensive, but arc support is perfect for my flat feet).
So, I bet a lot of you girls are pissed at me right now for saying that Havaianas are stupid. But before you start bitching at me for being such a bitch about Havaianas, answer me this question first: would you have worn tsinelas (or “flip-flops”, if you may) to school or the mall if it weren’t made fashionable by this ingenious Brazilian manufacturer?
i’ve been wearing flip flops to malls and other places that would allow me to wear them way back in 2000, before all these havaianas craze. they’re really comfortable. though of course, you need clean feet and a cutesy pair of tsinelas to pull it off.
my friend in brazil says it’s the best brand in their country..it’s what the construction workers wear, she said. hee.
unfortunately, the price doesn’t help curb my curiosity about havaianas, specially since the havaianas store has just opened in glorietta.
Do they still sell that white spartan in Pinas?
Interesting comments on flip-flops… here in the states, those really cheapy ones are quite ‘in’. Just buy a few pair from Old Navy, Gap, or Target in an array of colors/designs, no one even gives it a second thought. I personally wear mine to work everyday (tech firm), but I’m pretty casual. I do think those glorified slippers (particularly brand name like Roxy, Quicksilver, etc) are highly overrated. -t
like the person above said, here in North America flip-flops are incredibly popular. Look in any fashion magazine and it will say that “you should wear your flip-flops as often as you can before autumn, because they are this season’s style” etc. I always wear mine out, because they look more casual than a heeled sandal and runners just don’t cut it for the summer. It’s so interesting how different our cultures are.
I’ve read a similar post about this here:
http://deardiarya.blogspot.com/2005/04/sale.html
And as a Filipino, I still don’t get all the fuss about flip flops. It’s still TSINELAS!
The thought hadn’t really occurred to me until I was reading this, but it’s really rare that I wear flip flops. They’ve been insanely popular in the states over the past few summers (perhaps moreso than in summers past). There isn’t really a specific style that seems to be in fashion, it’s just flip flops in general… When my future brother-in-law got married, his wife and all of her bridesmaids wore flip flops in the wedding even!
i don’t own a pair of flip flops.
Yeah, they’re overrated. The only thing I like about it is the cute colours. That’s it. A few months ago I thought of buying a pair, but eek the price and the fact that it doesn’t flatter my fat feet :) It’s not something I would want to wear outside the house too.
They implemented a “no wearing of slippers with thong style, less than one inch heel, made of rubber blah blah” in lasalle just this year and it raised a lot of complaints from havaianas/slippers-loving students. Slippers for the beach/house I can understand, but slippers in school??? And they were all like “we’re free to wear whatever we like, our preference of footwear doesn’t affect our dedication to study” and other crap.
Feeling nila nasa bahay sila, kadire kaya!!! Dead toenails, chipped nail polish, hairy feet, bony toes blah blah. It might be comfy, pero sabog talaga tingnan and yeah, it’s just not right to wear slippers in school. :D
I wear my Old Navy flip-flops everywhere, summer or winter. My feet are claustrophobic.
Hi Lauren! I know what you mean about Havaianas; I will admit that I own a pair, but I bought them before they were “trendy.” I found out about them from my friend from Brazil, and both of us use them for nothing more than wearing around the house, or when at college, to use in the shower.
They company claims them to be “the national shoe of Brazil,” which is probably true, as everybody has a pair! Actually, a lot of people in Brazil call flip-flops “Havaianas” instead of “chinelos,” which is the normal word for flip-flops; that’s how popular they are. Still, there’s nothing special about them that makes them better than any other flip flop, in my opinion, and a lot of people in Brazil look down on them as something that “poor” people wear.
I find it ridiculous that people in the US have made them popular by taking these sandles and doing things like adding Swarovski crystals on them and jacking up their price. In Brazil, these are sandals that you can by in the supermarket for probably $3 or less American money.
Oh well…there will always be trendsters to give in to things like this…
here in North America flip-flops are incredibly popular.
Hmm. I didn’t notice people wearing flip-flops when I was in the States on April. Or maybe I just wasn’t paying attention.
The thing is, the tsinelas was never considered “stylish” until the whole flip-flop fad. That’s why I find it so funny and stupid that everyone in the Philippines is wearing them now.
Do they still sell that white spartan in Pinas?
Yep, I think they still do. A lot of other tsinelas brands have surfaced lately as well.
I know I used to own these pair of slippers (or flip flops :P) that looked a lot like Havaianas that costs around Php29 only. And I bought it at SM.
Naaah. What’s so special about that? I could call my house slippers flip flops and I think they’d work already. Haha. :P Great insight. ;)
Thanks.
I cant imagine flip-flops being a trend in Pinas. Super alikabok ang kalsada di ba and super putik pag umuulan.
In the States and Europe, yeah may nakikita ako nagsusuot nyan pag summer pero sa mall lang. Ultra-casual naman yata pag pampasok sa opisina.
By the way, i have a pair of Islanders and its really comfortable.
Filipinos are such fashion-influencers:
- we got the tsinelas that launched havaiianas
- we got the low waist pants that launched a million hip hop wannabees
- the way tricycle drivers wear their jackets and long sleeves with the other way around will spawn another fashion tipping point
- next thing we know, our white sleeveless undershirts seen from Binondo store owners since the 70s will be worn by chicanos, ow they’re wearing it now…tsk
Proud to be Pinoy!
Lauren, I think you’re more likely to see flip flop Americans in suburbia outside of the Bay Area. I live in Memphis, Tennessee and there are a lot of people that wear them to all sorts of places and events.
I always thought of flip flops as,…sloppy. I wear them only around the house but NEVER anywhere else. I just don’t think they are appropriate. People here only wore them to the beach and in college before the “fad” started.
There was a big flap here about a group of girls that got to meet with the President and have their picture taken with him at the White House. In the pic, you can see that many of them wore flip flops! A lot of people started to realize the absurdity of the “fad”, that people are now wearing them to formal events. Regardless of whether I like our President or not, if I were to meet him on a formal or semi-formal ocassion, I’d dress appropriately.
As for the remarks of putting fake crystals/flowers/whatnot on flip flops,…I have to say that if people can find a way to sell $1.99 flip flops in a different way, more power to them.
Funny how it’s now become a fad in the Philippines when flip flops have been more a part of a daily wardrobe.
“no wearing of slippers with thong style, less than one inch heel, made of rubber blah blah” in lasalle just this year and it raised a lot of complaints from havaianas/slippers-loving students
Bwahahaha! I’d like to see them to that at Ateneo, just so I could watch all those stupid conyotic, Havaiana-wearing beach bitches squirm and complain.
I cant imagine flip-flops being a trend in Pinas. Super alikabok ang kalsada di ba and super putik pag umuulan.
Yep. Sometimes my feet get dirty in Birkenstocks. What more with slippers?
As for the remarks of putting fake crystals/flowers/whatnot on flip flops,…I have to say that if people can find a way to sell $1.99 flip flops in a different way, more power to them.
Slightly unrelated but there’s apparantly a new Birkenstock line called the Heidi Klum Collection. They look kinda like this:
They cost $360. I predict that fake ones will start coming out all over the Philippines and it will be the new fad.
I completely agree with this post. I mean, why the hell would I spend Php 900+ for a pair of flip-flops when I can get them for Php 30 or less by buying the Spartan brand.
It’s not me that wants one but my girlfriend. Yah, we talked about it and she still had the last word in it. Now I have a promise to keep that I will buy her a pair of these overpriced Spartan-like flip-flops.
Sigh…what one would do for love.
But still if i had it my way, there’s no way in hell I would buy these Havananas flip-flops.
I will never understand the prices of these things! So pricy! Aren’t they made out plastic? Sheesh.
It’s not me that wants one but my girlfriend. Yah, we talked about it and she still had the last word in it. Now I have a promise to keep that I will buy her a pair of these overpriced Spartan-like flip-flops.
I’m sorry man, but your girlfriend’s a bitch. And you’re whipped for allowing her to treat you like her personal ATM card. If you would blow away your money for something you don’t even like, you might as well allow her to step on your balls with her new, expensive Havaianas. For “love”. But that’s just my opinion.
I’m from Sydney, Australia, and during the summer (and winter as well for the hot footed ones) everyone is wearing flip flops. (We call them thongs here, but to avoid confusion!)
At one point I stopped at uni and almost 50% of the population were wearing Havaianas (most popular colors are brown, black and white). If counting girls only, then about 40% were wearing Havaianas and a mini skirt of some kind. Maybe the idea is we like to think we can stop by at the beach and have a quick swim if we REALLY wanted to and weren’t so bogged down with assignments and not so lazy…
Although, the Havaianas here don’t have the flower. They’re just plain but really comfortable.
grabe, 935 pesos.
samantalang may nabili ako, sobrang hawig niyang pink na yan sa halagang Php 50.00
katangahan na lang talaga gumastos ng ganyan kalaki sa isang pares ng tsinelas.
another thing I noticed after reading these comments is that here in NA flip-flops are considered sandals, not slippers. To us, slippers are furry and fuzzy and DEFINITELY NOT made to wear outside. And I agree with a particular comment made above: I would never wear flip-flops to a formal event, but just places like school or the beach or going shopping. I won’t even wear them to bars or clubs. Whoever those girls were who wore flip-flops to meet the president are bimbos!
i personally don’t think it would be right to generalize. people in manila did not start wearing flipflops because of havaianas — the trend started much earlier than the appearance of these slippers. i for one, in my freshman year at ateneo (2000), wore flipflops from old navy. so were many of my other contemporaries.
and most people i know actually buy the havaianas because they are comfortable as compared to those Php50 slippers you’re talking about. i’m not a fanatic or anything, but i’ve compared slippers because i head out to the beach a lot, and i can truly and honestly say that these havaianas are the most comfortable pair to walk in. birkenstocks are another option, yeah but they aren’t as comfortable as these rubber slippers.
oh yes and the average price for a pair of havaianas is Php615, not Php935.
i’m not defending the side of the havaianas-wearing-mass because i don’t really wear flipflops all that much outside of the beach, but all i’m saying is i think that it would be wrong to suddenly judge a person as “conyotic” or as a “bitch” just for wearing expensive slippers. there’s more to a person than his or her footwear.
Yes, to each his own. I’ve tried wearing Havaianas and they just felt like slippers to me. I’m a Birkenstocks girl through and through.
But clearly you missed the point of my argument. If Old Navy or any other Western brand didn’t come up with their “flip-flops”, and if people thought wearing tsinelas to school were uncool, not everyone would probably wear them. Before the flip-flop trend, tsinelas were always associated with the masses.
Oh, and by making this comment and extolling about the comforts of Havaianas, you were defending the Havaianas-wearers.
A beach wear is a beach wear.
The price should not be an issue for those who can afford it. The point is, just because its “expensive” does not make it appropriate for public wear. As posted earlier, flip-flops are not the most appropriate for use in public because its so maputik and its so maalikabok in the Pilipinas. Wake up guys, huwag makigaya sa america, australia, at europe dahil malilinis ang mga kalsada dun. Halerr…
In fairness though, do you think its OK na panlusong sa baha.
im a fan of flip flops, ok fine tsinelas na :D, everyone commenting here were saying flip flops can only be worn in the beach. well i go to school in flip flops, and by being careful and mindful enough (pero hindi naman ung tulad nung ibang kikay jan na minuminutong tingin sa salamin or whatever) i go home with my feet dirt free.
what i agree about yr post is that HAVAIANAS are such a stupid stupid stupid fad. and people buying it are WAYYYYY stupider (ok, may word ba na ganun?!) i buy my tsinelas 50 pesos and most of them are WAY cuter than those damn havainas. grbe talga, what people will do just to be ‘in’. tsktsk
hahah! i’ve worn flip flops in my 4 years in admu and never thought about what people might think..i stayed right in front of the campus. what did they care?
have to admit that i am one of “them” too. i bought 2 pairs of hav’s online..my “boss” said “alam mo okay yan kung worn-out na..parang naka-Nike ka”..really now?..and the person who said that was a guy…and my bf said “you’re wondering why you don’t have money? take a look at your feet!” and he went on and on about girls being this and that..
but i still DO wear the cheap pairs i bought from SM and tiangge’s..you should head over to landmark..I couldn’t help but laugh at their havaianas imitation. hahaha! another thing we Filipinos are guilty of
tsinelas will never go out of fashion in our country, no matter how expensive or cheap they are
my boyfriend is brazilian and while havaianas are cheaper in brazil and construction workers do wear them, so does everyone else. His mom, his sister, celebrities etc. I use other brands of flip flops but to me the havaianas are the comfiest. Do i think that the craze for havaianas is a little crazy? yes. Do i think the people wearing it for the trend vs. the comfort are crazy? yes. am i going to stop wearing them because other people think i’m crazy for buying them? no. They’re too comfy to stop and with many other brands, i get wounds after wearing them briefly. I can be walking around in the havaianas all day without any pain. Besides, I can get them from brazil where they’re so much cheaper.
I completely agree with you. Though it doesn’t matter to me if everyone wears them. But going to malls or the school wearing them doesn’t seem right. They look too much at home. Phils. isn’t the place to walk outside with just slippers on. Heh~ Taking up Environmental and Sanitary eng’g has made me more conscious of the things I wear, do, etc. XD Unless it’s the beach, it’s okay to wear these things. People will say they’re comfy, but they’re not really fashionable. If they want to wear slippers/tsinelas, they should opt for something like Birkenstocks. You can hardly tell the difference with Havaianas with the cheap ones. Wear them to know the difference, they say. I wouldn’t bother spending lots of dough for that. :P
I thought flip-flops evolved out of the traditional Japanese “zori” that are worn with a kimono. I’m sure this predates their use in the Philippines. I don’t know who invented the cheap, plastic variety, but they must surely have been imported from western countries who had the manufacturing capability.
Haha! I thought the same thing when I heard about Havaianas last year. The fashionistas seem to like them. I heard the rubber is “different” — really comfy and soft. And yes, you can get them for cheap in Brazil coz they’re as common as tsinelas are in the Philippines. Well, after snobbing the trend, I saw Havaianas being sold for $8.95 at a swap meet and might buy one just to check it out for research purposes, you know. Hehe.
After all, wearing flip flops is one thing. But wearing them with socks is another story altogether. Everybody say “Ewwww!”.
thought flip-flops evolved out of the traditional Japanese “zori” that are worn with a kimono. I’m sure this predates their use in the Philippines.
Maybe. I dunno. I meant the “evolution of the flip-flops” in the Filipino sense.
Do you delete comments? I left one here yesterday.
Ooops! Sorry. Suddenly, my previous comment is showing. I wonder how that happened… Please delete my last two comments.
Hi. hey i liked yer blog about flip flops. My parents recently visited the philippines and they got me a pair of Spartans and i were them in the shower… LOL
IT HAS A GOOD POINT, BUT I HAVE NOTHING
AGAINST HAVAIANAS NOR THE PEOPLE WHO
PATRONIZE THEM BECAUSE TSINELAS CAN
REALLY BE COMFY…STYLE PLUS COMFORT IS
ALWAYS A GOOD THING. IN FACT, I’D LOVE TO
OWN A PAIR, BUT ITS JUST TOO EXPENSIVE FOR
MY BLOOD…I’D RATHER SPEND MY MONEY ON
MUNCHIES AND BOOZE…HAHA.
LIKE YOU, I ALSO WISH I WAS ABLE TO COME UP WITH THE
CONCEPT OF MAKING THE TSINELAS
FASHIONABLE FIRST. TOO BAD THAT THAT
BRAZILIAN BEAT ME TO IT. LUCKY SONS-OF-
BIATCHES. I WOULDVE BEEN FILTHY RICH BY
NOW. HEHE :)
i have 3 pairs of it.. i just love them… but you have a good point though… i remmber that when i was taking the entrance examinations at ust and la salle, i wore them… and theres this student from another school who keep on staring at my feet.. i just dont know… (non sense at all!!!) hahaha!!!
theyre made from rubber
i’ve always worn beachwalks, even to school — in ateneo. i even remember not being allowed to go inside the SOM dept ‘coz they had a “no slippers” policy.
i thought they were absurdly expensive, until i got a pair (no beachwalk in sydney hehe). The $16 dollars i think is worth it because i usually go through one pair of beachwalks every 2 weeks and my havaianas last me a month or two i think before i completely wear them out. so, ok na rin.
anyway, i’ll always love my tsinelas. i couldn’t care less if my thongs were havaianas or beachwalk as long as they were thongs and they were comfy.
Flip-flops. Gah. It’s what the beggars, maids, and palengke vendors wear. If anyone is laughing at the habayanas-clad crowd, it’s them.
it is annoying isn’t it when simple and practical things become something that gives you ’status.’ thats what i hate about the philippines – everything is about status.
i discovered the havaianas from my aussie flatmate in canada a few years ago, and bought myself a pair as soon as i moved to australia (where everyone owns a pair [they call it 'thongs' over here though]), and i must say i can never go back. i’ve tried but i can’t – whatever that special soft rubber thing is, it’s great! the funny thing was, my lola tried on my pair when i visited them and she instantly loved them and couldn’t take them off so i gave my havaianas to her. this is from a lady who’d been wearing tsinelas for 65+ years! havaianas are pretty spesh i reckon, but a whole store opening just for them?!! sheesh.. that’s going too far
I live in Australia and thongs (or flip-flops, as the rest of the world seems to call them) have always been a staple in any wardrobe here. They’re just so damn comfy. Go to any Australian uni and I guarantee every third person will be wering thongs. Thongs have been in since before Hav’s. I remember visiting The Phils a couple of years back and my Titos and Titas were wondering what the hell I was doing with five pairs of tsinelas’.
“Spartan lang ito, eh”, was what they said. And I also got weird looks from people at the Shang-ri La and just about anywhere else I went.
It does seem a bit much for almost a thousand pesos considering the buying power there, just for a pair of Hav’s.
I totally agree! It’s a bit relieving to read your blog and see that someone else feels the same way!
For the price that Havaianas cost I think that there are definitely more WORTH-IT tsinelas to get.
i feel the same way about Havaianas. i have nothing against flip-flops (my feet are claustrophobic too), but P900 for a pair of tsinelas is just insane!!!
Last Christmas, I was able to buy around 36 pairs of slippers for me and the kids i take care of in an orphanage… 36 pairs for the price of one havaianas. :) don’t have anything against those who patronize Havaianas though… I just think that buying those over-priced pairs here in a 3rd world country is not helping us in anyway (especially if there are cheaper, local alternatives).
well i must say that if you have the money you can spend with it, then why not??
cguro wla nlang pki alamanan dba???
Before Filipinos ever heard of these rubber slippers (in the 50s, we called them “smuggled” to distinguish them from the local “tsinelas” of the time which were either wide bands or cross straps), the Japanese and through them the Hawaiians were already wearing them, as beachwear or general strolling. I think that’s why the Brazilians called their brand Havaianas (Hawaiians), not Flip-flopinas.
:-) poor me coz i’ve never know how popular now that Havaianas flip-flop in the phils. i have one-pair left at home. i just wore it once and flew here in NL. uuummh….just nice to read posted comments here :-)actually, filipinos are originals of flip-flops. we just don’t know before the english term for it, so we call it “tsinelas”. kesyo, underrated ito and quite a descriminating statusqou…now, biglang lumabas sa dictionary ang flip-flops and brand H with colorful designs which is very suitable for tropical weather like phils…so, pinays are just vulnerable, cumpulsive-users to buy trendy ones. if spartan and other brands will compete with nice trendy designs…i bet, ubos din yan lahat.masyado lang talaga ang mga pinoy sa mga imported products. kung ano uso sa west, ginagaya. just like wearing american suits during formal gatherings. yan ang trend sa mga foreigners kasi.they don’t even think kung gaano ka init sa pinas kumpara sa mga lugar na ginagaya nila.foreigners like to wear our barong tagalog, kasi aside from its creative designs, eh, magaan saka comfortable suited for tropical climate.in terms of quality…mas matibay pa ang gawang-pinas.
i hope we can be responsible buyers and consumers.wag magpadala sa impluwensya. bow!
a million thanks!
finally…
the best insight i’ve ever read in my entire life!!!!
*clap!* (standing ovation)
by the way, i guess that qualifies you for a Nobel Prize or something…
hahaha!
go Beachwalk!!!!
Just want to react :smile::
I’m so out buying a pair of it because it costs too much for a tsinelas. Nothing special really about having a Havaianas flip-flops, susme tsinelas din cya. I have one pair and it’s because my brother talked me into buying one from a girl friend of his. It has a percentage off, otherwise, I won’t buy it. Actually when my Mom saw it she was not thrilled at all. It’s a typical tsinelas for her. Anyway, I’ve tested its durability in fairness to the Havaianas. It’s worth it, i’ve used it during rainy seasons going to work and I don’t worry that anytime soon it will snap off, unlike some local brands (got caught in the rain one time asnd the next thing I knew I’m walking with one tsinelas only, the literal meaning of leaving your footprints behind, only, leaving your tsinelas behind), you know what I mean. Philippines have a variety of tsinelas only they are not that durable. They easily snaps… or Maybe its the power of my mind that keeps my Havaianas from snapping off, that it should stay the way it is even through floods or my everyday use of it or else i’ll just see my money wasted in a pair of expensive tsinelas. What makes it special I think is the way one uses it. They adored it too much because it is trendy for them because it is a foreign brand, when you can treat a local tsinelas special with a cheaper budget. Just buy plenty of tsinelas so you don’t get to use it often so you can maintain it for a longer shelter life on all of them hehe… I just want them to try local brands, that’s why hehe. Anyway, Havaianas or not, we still have to clean our toenails if we want to show them off our tsinelas. They won’t only look at your tsinelas but also your feet, however big your feet is -Clean toenails in a local flip-flops won’t make a difference when wearing expensive flip-flops .
I have ten pairs of Havaianas. Hate me now. I’d still love them. :P
BUT. I know where to wear them, mind you. :)
:twisted: I have 5 pairs of HAVAIANAS, 2 pairs of CROCS off-road sandals & my most favorite MERRELL MEN’S MIAMI II sandal. :twisted:
Actually, aren’t flip- flops based off of the Japanese Zori?
I agree with you. I don’t know what the hell is special about Havaianas. They’re still tsinelas! Why spend 900 pesos on a pair when you can buy one for less than a hundred and you still have enough for you to eat, watch a movie & buy a shirt! mygad, ano ba ang nangyayari sa pilipinas, pati ang tsinelas with an H ay isang status symbol! :))
No offense to the friends of mine who wear them… at least I know they can afford it (meaning, they can buy a pair or two & they still have enough to feed a family of 4 with just their weekly allowance), but for those who buy just so they’d look sosyal or whatnot… I pity them.
well. lauren.. i think you really don’t understand.. there is a big difference with your so called tsinelas nd havaianas.. your so called tsinelas don’t last that long.. while havaianas on the other hand last for years. it is worth the price..
i do wear flipflops at the mall and school because it is our culture..even our profs wear them.. but some other people the filingeros..just want to boast or watever so they follow the trend..people who can afford can buy lots but still can feed their families..
i find it funny that they’re only famous in the Philippines. And by “famous” i mean that most filipinos find them “in fashion” if they wear these havaianas (or at least it seems to be that way). Meanwhile, filipinos living abroad, like myself, can’t get enough of The Beachwalks!
PS. I stumbled upon your blod while googling the name “Lauren” as I was wondering what the origin of the name is, just because i think it’s a gorgeous name. I saw it and I liked what I saw. I’m not just some creeper leaving comments to your blogspot, in case you’re wondering.
PSS. I noticed you have multiply too. can I add you?
between the crocs and the havaianas craze, I’d prefer to follow the latter… I’m a lazy ass and having to walk around in stilletos or other contraptions guaranteed to make a woman look sexy at the price of our comfort is definitely a torture… Must admit the whole brouhaha about the flipflop trend was a breath of fresh air…
When the Havies trend infiltrated the Davao scene retrogressing 4 years ago, I thought, Flip flops for 800 bucks? Are you kidding me? I could buy like a room full of Spartans with my 800 bucks in all the colors I could think of. Never was a fan… though I do have a pair. one was given to me 2 christmases ago (pigtas na nga eh) and the other one was purchased some months so I could walk around comfortably without looking like a farmer on a day off…
dreadreadreas last blog post..As told by a friend of a friend…
Hi Lauren!
I recently came upon your blog via Our Awesome Planet and so far I’m enjoying it.
Well, I used to justify the price by saying it doesn’t wear out (which is true, in my case anyway). I’ve had one for four years (given to me by my sister)which I use everyday and everywhere and truly “di napupupodpod”. But after four years of constant abuse, it gave out. Napatid yung thong part. I looked at it and thought to myself, in the end “it was just an ordinary tsinelas”.
So now, I have agree with you that Havaianas are just overpriced tsinelas.