Summer is just around the corner and students are swapping their jeans for dresses and shorts. One accessory in particular has also been on display: flip-flops.
While some find embarrassment in the toe exposure of the footwear, Weinberg junior Emma Bergreen said rocking flip-flops is about the wearer’s convenience and confidence.
“I just care less what people think about me, so I’ve been letting my toes out more during the day in front of people,” Bergreen said.
An April Vogue article deemed that flip-flops are feeling fresh again, citing various celebrities stepping out in this footwear this spring.
Northwestern is no exception to the trend. All it takes is looking down on the way to class to spot people wearing the classic sandal.
McCormick first-year Amelia Strebel said she’s noticed the increase but won’t be participating in the trend.
“I just don’t think I like my feet enough for it, and I think that you really have to love your feet to wear flip-flops,” Strebel said. “It feels like a lot, exposing them to people, and I do get a little freaked out when I see other people’s feet.”
Bergreen said it’s easier in the warmer weather to slip on a pair of flip-flops on the way to class than to go through the hassle of putting on socks and sneakers. Her pair of choice is Rainbow leather flip-flops, which she said mold to her feet after wearing them for so long.
Two of the most common, popular flip-flop brands are Havaianas and Rainbows. Havaianas are made from a rubber material and usually come in all sorts of patterns and colors, whereas Rainbows stick to a classic brown leather material, which Bergreen said she loves.
There are also more elevated flip-flops to have hit the market. Luxury brand The Row dropped a $900 pair last summer that knocked off the signature Havaianas style for more than 20 times the price.
“With flip-flops, once a few celebrities start to wear them, with social media being so prolific these days, it’s really easy for even the most timeless random piece of clothing to be put into the limelight and just snowball until it’s never where you would have imagined,” Medill sophomore Helen Ryan said.
Ryan, who is a self-proclaimed flip-flop lover, just bought her first pair of Rainbows, as her old pair was getting worn out. She said flip-flops are quintessential and convenient for college life.
While Ryan said she is aware that the shoe is trending, she doesn’t view this purchase as succumbing to a fashion fad. Ryan said she believes flip-flops are a staple forever.
“It’s just flip-flops, you always wear them in the summer, they’re always just kind of around, and I hope that stays the same,” Ryan said. “I’m sure as it becomes more trendy, maybe it’ll change, but at its core, people will always remember what flip-flops truly are.”
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