Flip Flops, Flip-Flops, Flipflops: All Lousy in Most Settings

[Lafont]

So glad Glenn O'Brien, GQ's "The Style Guy" came out once more against these crummy things - swarming over the earth with millions of squiggly toes being seen accordingly. IMHO these almost invariably cheap-o creations are fine for around the house or apartment, at the beach, when walking down a residential street (possibly), or perhaps at a finate number of very casual settings such as resort towns, very youthful and/or liberal-type shopping districts, or amusement parks or fairs, but they should never be seen on guys in any serious environment, such as department stores, shopping malls, government buildings, museums, major business districts in general, or any but the most casual-type office environment. Think swimsuit or even underwear, pj's or bathrobe - about the same level of formality (actually a robe can be far more dignified). And age is irrelevant.
Particularly unseemly with males, as there's something kind of unmasculine about them as well. Women have worn open shoes for generations and they can be attractive but guys and their toes.... That's another matter.

 

[TopHatChef]

I mostly agree with that statement, but I do think they are acceptible to wear in some department stores, and shopping malls, but for that setting age does matter. Most extreme- under 30, but standard being under 25.

 

[luftvier]

Originally Posted by TopHatChef

I mostly agree with that statement, but I do think they are acceptible to wear in some department stores, and shopping malls, but for that setting age does matter. Most extreme- under 30, but standard being under 25.

I deplore flip-flops for anything but:

1) college dorm shower wear
2) beach wear
3) around the house, like slippers

I wish the flip-flop craze would end today.

It reminds me of so much fratboy nonsense.

 

[JayJay]

I used to wear them regularly in public; however, not so much in the last couple of years, except at the beach. I guess I've seen too many people who look horrible in them.

 

[tlmusic]

The last time I wore flip flops was in college. The dorm showers were really nasty, so I wore flip flops in the showers hoping I wouldn't catch athlete's foot. How truly effective protection would they be? Not sure...

 

[life_interrupts]

Flip-flops should not be worn in places of "serious" business. On vacation at the beach? Sure. But not walking around downtown, going out to dinner, or to a club, for geez's sake!

 

[PandArts]

Originally Posted by life_interrupts

Flip-flops should not be worn in places of "serious" business. On vacation at the beach? Sure. But not walking around downtown, going out to dinner, or to a club, for geez's sake!

How about for meeting the President?

 

[clarity]

They bug me a little bit too because I see them everywhere and I think it's just lazy. I know people who wear them daily, and have worn them so much that they turn black and the hem of all their pants are frayed from dragging on the ground. If I lived in say a town next to the ocean I wouldn't care as much. But I'm 6-7 hours from the ocean.

 

[Roikins]

Originally Posted by clarity

They bug me a little bit too because I see them everywhere and I think it's just lazy. I know people who wear them daily, and have worn them so much that they turn black and the hem of all their pants are frayed from dragging on the ground. If I lived in say a town next to the ocean I wouldn't care as much. But I'm 6-7 hours from the ocean.

Yeah, I was forced to go to a brunch at Tavern on the Green last month and then went out to dinner a few nights ago at a business casual restaurant and both times there was a young couple next to me, the guy sporting khakis with flip flops. I was tempted to lean over to ask where the closest beach was since I think they're only appropriate for the pool/beach or showers. Apart from indicating that you're a lazy dresser, much like those girls in college that attend classes in their pajamas, it's a little unsafe to wear in public, especially on a crowded DC metro. Haven't they shown that flip flops are bad for your feet and back and provide little protection from having your toes stepped on.

 

[jsherman02]

I wear them when I am washing my car or cleaning my deck...that is it.

 

[Joffrey]

Originally Posted by JayJay

I used to wear them regularly in public; however, not so much in the last couple of years, except at the beach. I guess I've seen too many people who look horrible in them.

Same here. I used to have a great leather pair that I wore out all the time in college. After that broke I stopped only because I was looking for the next perfect pair. Well not too long ago I found that pair in Zara (leather with a bit of fabric on the thong part) but I passed because I no longer have any desire to wear them out and I figure they would be silly on the beach or by the pool (wouldn't want to get them wet, will I?).

Anyway, I have two pairs these days. ONly wear them in the house or when I'm at a pool/beach.

 

[Midnight Blue]

Not only do they look bad but they SOUND bad: the sound of plastic soles slapping against bare feet is a sure fire way to ruin the atmosphere at any upscale venue.

They are also highly impractical in urban settings. In a recent visit to Manhattan my 11-year-old niece wore hers for a day of site-seeing. When she returned home that evening to discover a cigarette butt stuck to the sole of her foot she suddenly realized why the rest of us preferred running shoes. Saddly, a vast majority of Manhattanites (and urbanites everywhere else) don't seem to have learned the same lesson.

This pseudo footwear must also be a chiropractor's nightmare because of its complete lack of orthotic support . . .

 

[Mark from Plano]

Originally Posted by Midnight Blue

They are also highly impractical in urban settings. In a recent visit to Manhattan my 11-year-old niece wore hers for a day of site-seeing. When she returned home that evening to discover a cigarette butt stuck to the sole of her foot she suddenly realized why the rest of us preferred running shoes. Saddly, a vast majority of Manhattanites (and urbanites everywhere else) don't seem to have learned the same lesson.

This pseudo footwear must also be a chiropractor's nightmare because of its complete lack of orthotic support . . .

We chaperoned a trip to Europe with our son's 8th grade French and Art teachers last summer. The French teacher, a veteran of several such trips, forbade the kids from even packing flip flops for walking around Paris, Rome, etc. You'd have thought she was banning...well...something that would be bad to ban. The kids (especially the girls) whined and complained endlessly. However, she had experienced the incompatibility of flip-flops with uneven surfaces on urban streets.

 

[RedLantern]

Originally Posted by Midnight Blue

Not only do they look bad but they SOUND bad: the sound of plastic soles slapping against bare feet is a sure fire way to ruin the atmosphere at any upscale venue.

They are also highly impractical in urban settings. In a recent visit to Manhattan my 11-year-old niece wore hers for a day of site-seeing. When she returned home that evening to discover a cigarette butt stuck to the sole of her foot she suddenly realized why the rest of us preferred running shoes. Saddly, a vast majority of Manhattanites (and urbanites everywhere else) don't seem to have learned the same lesson.

This pseudo footwear must also be a chiropractor's nightmare because of its complete lack of orthotic support . . .

Isn't wearing running shoes when you aren't planning on doing any running a faux-pas as well?

I haven't heard any reports of sandals being bad for your spine (in fact some do have some arch support anyway), but I have to admit that when its blazing hot out, sandals to keep me noticably cooler.

 

[Midnight Blue]

Originally Posted by RedLantern

I haven't heard any reports of sandals being bad for your spine (in fact some do have some arch support anyway), but I have to admit that when its blazing hot out, sandals to keep me noticably cooler.

For the record, we're talking about flip-flops, not sandals. There's a world of difference!