How Havaianas Became the Ultimate Flip Flop Brand
Sponsored StoryThe story of
Ask a Brazilian what their country’s most famous exports are and they’ll probably say carnival, soccer, samba, and Havaianas.
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The first three may seem obvious, the last one maybe not. But Havaianas,
the vanguard of the rubber flip flop, sold over 220 million pairs last year,
which equates to seven pairs sold every second.
This might be hard to believe as, for many, Havaianas is just a beachside brand,
but since it created the first rubber flip flop in 1962 as a functional piece of
footwear for everyday life in Brazil, the brand has grown to dominate the flip
flop market to the point that in some countries it’s even an eponym for the
product itself.
The danger, however, of such a ubiquitous product is that it is often overlooked.
But fashion has a habit of revitalizing utilitarian items that have been taken for granted,
and lately, Havaianas has surfaced in unexpected places, cropping up on the banks
of the Seine through its collaboration with Saint Lauren and on the streets
of Tokyo thanks to its partnership with mastermind JAPAN.
Join us as we explore how and why Havaianas became the ultimate flip flop brand.
Chapter one
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Exactly who created the first Havaianas flip flop remains a mystery. Either they are unknown or, in keeping with Havaianas’ unwavering democratic approach, they have chosen to keep them anonymous so as not to credit one person with the brand’s inception. What is known is that one (or more likely several) foresightful executives from Brazilian sporting goods company Alpargatas traveled to Japan in the early ‘60s and came across a type of footwear they’d never seen before – the traditional Japanese Zori sandal.
The thonged shoe caught their attention because it was sturdy, kept your feet cool,
and, most importantly, was cheap – qualities that would make it ideal for everyday wear in Brazil.
There was one problem though, the zori was made with rice straw and a fabric strap,
materials that wouldn’t last many trips to the beach nor hold up long in Brazil’s humid,
topical-downpour climate. For them to meet the requirements of everyday life in Brazil,
the straw-based zori needed to be waterproof.
Conveniently, Brazil has a thriving rubber industry and the savvy, unnamed entrepreneurs put two and two
together and produced the first rubber flip flop. In search of a name, they looked
to the most popular holiday destination for Brazilians at the time: Hawaii.
Havaianas means “Hawaiians” in Portuguese which, to clear this up, is pronounced Have-I-Annas.
Now that they had a product and a name, the next challenge they faced was distribution.
Brazil is almost the same size as the US, and many of the major cities are spread out,
separated by dense jungle, rivers, and mountains. With limited infrastructure,
they were left with little choice but to do it themselves. Being the ‘60s, they purchased Volkswagen vans, slapped on a logo and hit the road.
People loved the slip-on sandal immediately. It was affordable, resilient, and comfortable.
Within two years nearly every worker in the country had a pair and counterfeits – the ultimate sign of having made it – started to appear. In response, they patented the product (specifically its three-pronged design, the rice-grain texture on the footbed, and the textured strap) and launched their first major advertising campaign which showed how to identify a real pair of Havaianas.
Over the next 20 years, Havaianas became essentials to the point that the government
included them in the list of basic necessities used to measure inflation, alongside
goods such as rice and beans. This, however, had one unexpected setback. Rather than
being seen as a fashion product, they were considered a commodity. At the time,
Havaianas only produced one model, the Tradicional, which had a white sole and colored
strap (Brazilians still call this model “Havaianas de pedreiro”, “the builder’s Havaianas”).
Once everyone had a pair, there was no incentive to buy another until they wore out and,
due to the rubber, that didn’t happen quickly.
This began to change in the ‘90s when, to counter dwindling sales, Havaianas underwent a
major rebrand to reposition the flip flop as a fashion product. Noticing that some
enterprising youths had started to pull out the strap and flip the sole to make
them one solid color, Havaianas introduced a new, monocolored model known as the Top.
Then, they extended the color palette, introduced the first printed design, and
launched a country-wide advertising campaign featuring some of the most popular
Brazilian celebrities bashfully showing that, contrary to popular belief, they
too wore simple Havaianas flip flops.
The Brazilian effect
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If there’s one thing that distinguishes Havaianas from other flip flops brands –
and footwear brands in general – it’s how deeply entwined the brand is with its country of origin.
Any Brazilian will be able to reel off stories of using them as goalposts on the beach or of
the first printed edition they saved up to buy.
“The truth is, you think Havaianas, you think in color, and that's a power that very few
brands have. The joy that it brings to mind, the warmth that it brings you, the relaxation
that it makes you feel. It's like you close your eyes and you go back to when you were a
kid. It's a very powerful thing,” explains Fernanda Romano, Havaianas’
global marketing director.
This comforting sense of nostalgia has Brazilians tied to their Havaianas, but it’s not
the only reason at play. The brand is also a rags-to-riches success story of what
can be achieved by the industrious worker and a source of national pride. This is
buoyed by the fact that Havaianas too is proudly Brazilian and continues to make
conscious efforts to give something back to the country. In addition to designing
and producing all its products in Brazil, it also runs a number of community
programs in the towns around its factories and donates a portion of sales from
specific models to two national conservation institutes that help preserve the
country’s ocean and rainforests.
To be a part of the nation’s collective memory and so deeply entrenched within its cultural
identity is a feat for any brand. But in Brazil, one of the world’s most stratified societies,
Havaianas flip flops are a social equalizer, loved unanimously and worn as much by
city-dwelling millionaires as by kids in the densely populated favelas. Eric Strauss,
Havaianas’ direct to consumer director, likens this inclusivity to another of Brazil’s
cherished commodities, the beach.
“The beach is one of the most democratic places in the world. If you go to Ipanema Beach
you have everyone from the most simple guy enjoying the beach for free, to the richest guy,
side by side, just together enjoying what the country has to offer. That’s Havaianas.
It's for everyone and there is no reason why if one is using it the other can not.
The day we start to be for specific targets, we will lose the brand.”
Beyond its borders, Havaianas is an embodiment of the country’s cultural identity.
The laidback, sun-soaked, free-spirited vibe is a constant thread through everything
Havaianas does, and one those landlocked want to buy into - slip on a pair of Havaianas
and dream up your next holiday sipping caipirinhas by the beach.
Interview
Suyane Ynaya
Suyane Ynaya
is a success story for the underdogs of Brazil.
She is a well established and respected creative, and somewhat of an icon within her community.
Her work, which spans the spectrum from photography to styling to art direction, has graced the
covers of many of Brazil’s most popular magazines and she is the co-founders of We are Mooc,
a collective of multidisciplinary creatives whose work addresses blackness, diversity, and identity.
As a Black woman raised in the outskirts of São Paulo, getting to where she is today wasn’t easy.
She had to overcome countless obstacles based on her gender, race, and class to have her creative
voice heard within the fashion industry and before she made a name for herself was rejected time and
time again. But she was not easily perturbed and using the limited materials she had access to and
her friends as models, she began to create. That was the beginning of what would become We are Mooc.
Through her work, Ynaya champions inclusivity and raises awareness about discrimination in Brazil.
When talking about Havaianas, she hails the brand for its democratic approach and continued commitment
to creating products for people of all backgrounds.
“In Brazil, there is a thing where the more the brands grow, the more inaccessible they become to people
from the outskirts. And Havaianas has never stopped being accessible. If you go into the outskirts,
you buy a Havaianas for R$ 10 [$1.70]! It is very important when brands are aware that they cannot
exclude those people from consuming their product.”
She too has her own memories from wearing them as a child. “There was this pair of pale pink Havaianas
that I loved. I was crazy for them and made my mom only buy me that pair,” she says. Even now I go
crazy on children's Havaianas because of my kids, they only wear Havaianas.”
“It's a brand that never fails to connect with families. From the grandmother, the cousin, the son, the mother... Everyone wears Havaianas here in Brazil, because the brand itself has not lost that affectionate connection with people.”
Suyane Ynaya
Interview
Edgar
Edgar is currently one of Brazil’s most
important artistic voices. The rapper, multimedia artist,
and activist is tipped as one of the country’s next big things
thanks to his unique funk-infused rap and socio-political
lyrics that discuss classism, racism, and environmental destruction.
Hailing from Guarulhos, a densely populated city neighboring Sao
Paulo, Edgar first made a name for himself by writing lyrics for
samba legend Elza Soares and now, at 26, has six albums under
his belt. “My work is more of an outburst before I collapse,”
he explains. “My inspiration comes from different places, it
comes from the beauty of the landscapes of Minas Gerais to the
length of a dam that turns everything into a great environmental
catastrophe, like this polarity of life and death, the possibility
of what can happen in a second. All of this inspires me,
it keeps me creating, writing... It keeps me productive.
Music is just one part of Edgar’s creative vision. He is also
an artist and for his performances, he creates films to project
on stage as well as elaborate outfits, which often include
headpieces and masks that take cues from traditional
indigenous dress. Being Brazilian, he explains,
is carrying the county’s checkered history on your shoulders.
From the rhythms to the visuals and costumes, Edgar’s work
addresses the inequalities that were inherited yet are still
present in the socioeconomically disparate country.
When it comes to Havaianas, Edgar compares them to Brazil,
the sole being the country and the strap its people.
Together, they are complete, but if they pull apart,
they break, “That’s when creativity comes into play,”
Edgar explains, “We always manage to fix it and carry on.”
He continues, “[Havaiainas] have a subtlety to them and
they’re nice to wear. I think that Havaianas is very
sophisticated, starting from an ancient oriental influence
and transforming into a popular Brazilian brand.
It's generational.”
“Havaianas is very sophisticated, starting from an ancient oriental influence and transforming into a popular Brazilian brand. It's generational”
Edgar
Interview
Ricardo Nunes &
Pedro Prado
Ricardo Nunes is the founder of
Sneakers BR, Brazil’s first and largest
sneaker magazine. One of his former employees,
Pedro Prado, is now the co-owner
of São Paulo’s first specialist sneaker store,
Guadalupe. The two of them
have more knowledge about Brazil’s sneaker scene than the rest of the
population put together.
“I think as a Brazilian everybody's connected to Havaianas but not only
because of the brand but because of the flip flops. Everybody in Brazil has,
at least once in a lifetime, owned a pair of flip flops,” says Nunes.
“But wait,” Prado interjects, “we don't call them flip flops, we call them Havaianas.”
Nunes has been in the business for over 20 years, and has seen the country’s
scene grow from a few curious collectors to a profitable and competitive
market with its own network of retailers, media, and resell platforms.
The demand for sneakers is high and queues around the block are now
inevitable for sought after drops, Prado explains.
“In Brazil, we aren’t very strong economically. It was too expensive to
import shoes back in the days. Now, things are changing, and shoes are one of
the things people like to buy to show off. And they can afford it because
shoes aren’t that expensive.”
Sneakers may be their mainstays, but both Nunes and Prado admit that they still
have pairs of Havaianas at home for lounging. As with most Brazilians, their
affection for the brand is tinged with nostalgia, and Nunes recounts memories
from his childhood. “When I was a kid, it was not cool to leave your home
wearing Havaianas, because Havaianas were the shoes to just wear inside your
house. But in the ‘80s and '90s then they did a huge rebrand and put Havaianas
on basically all Brazilian celebrities. Brazil has a big tradition of
soap operas and in the '80s and the '90s, they ruled everything.
I remember watching TV and every Sunday waiting for the new Havaianas commercial
with a new celebrity.”
“We also have another kid's tradition, which is where a goalkeeper wears Havaianas
as gloves,” Prado explains, ”It's also a cultural tradition when you travel
or meet some friends outside Brazil to take Havaianas as a Brazilian gift.
A pair of Havaianas and coffee. Havaianas is one of our prides. Carnival.
Soccer. Samba. Havaianas.”
“Havaianas is one of our prides. Carnival. Soccer. Samba. Havaianas.”
Pedro Prado
Chapter Two
There are countless flip flop brands producing very similar products today, but Havaianas remains the most popular, ever-praised for its unmatchable comfort. What’s its secret? Rubber.
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There isn’t much to a flip flop, so what actually goes into it really counts.
What made Havaianas revolutionary when they first hit the market in the ‘60s was that
they had all the benefits of the Japanese zori, but they were waterproof, odourless,
and more durable.
Today, little has changed. While most flip flops are made with EVA,
Havaianas are made with a special mixture of rubbers that, much like Coca-Cola’s
syrup recipe, is a tightly kept secret. The secret compound is constantly being
tweaked and refined to ensure it’s the best on the market and, now, as environmentally
friendly as possible. Currently, forty percent of each pair of flip flops is made
with off-cuts.
To ensure its secret formula is kept under wraps, Havaianas manufactures
all of its products from start to finish at two local factories. The first
is located in the Northeastern city of Campina Grande and makes over
75 percent of Havaianas products, and the second is in Minas Gerais.
Both factories are major employers in the regions, contributing
significantly to the local economy. The Campina Grande factory
alone employs 9,000 staff and manufactures, on average, 500,000 pairs of
flip flops per day, which is approximately 10 pairs per second.
The three main models that make up its portfolio have changed
little since they were introduced. The first is the Tradicional,
the original model that launched in ‘62 and boasted a
white sole and colored strap. When people started
flipping the soles of the Tradicional, Havaianas
introduced the Top, a unicolored take on the first design.
Then, for the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, Havaianas
launched the Brasil, which featured the Brazilian
flag on the strap.
Thanks to its minimal designs, Havaianas is an ideal canvas for
collaboration and over the years has teamed up with a wide
range of partners. From Saint Laurent to Stranger Things
to the charitable Women for Women campaign,
scroll through for a look at the brand’s most impactful
partnerships and collaborations.
Collaborate,
collaborate.
Havaianas x
Manolo Blahnik
(drag images to see more)
Chapter Three
“Havaianas is probably almost as famous as Pele the football player, all over the world.”
Romano
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By the ‘90s, Havaianas dominated the market in Brazil – it was the
footwear brand of choice for everyone, regardless of age, background,
or gender. By extending the color palette, experimenting with new designs,
and featuring the country’s biggest celebrities in its advertising
campaigns, Havaianas transformed the flip flop from commodity into
fashionable footwear, catching the attention of taste makers within
and, for the first time, beyond its border.
The first to pick it up was Jean Paul Gaultier, who dressed models on the
New York and Paris runways in Havaianas flip flops in 1999. For many, Gaultier
is the trailblazing designer who welcomed all shapes, sizes, and sexualities
on his catwalk long before it was admissible, and his choice to bring flip flops
would’ve definitely turned heads. By pairing them with slouchy cream suits and
deconstructed shirts, he honed the dressed-down chic look ahead of its time,
putting Havaianas on the fashion crowds’ radar and kick-starting demand for what was
long considered just a beach shoe.
“Havaianas doesn't own anything. Havaianas doesn't want to plant a flag anywhere. It's a lifestyle for people who are comfortable enough in their skin that they can chill, they can relax”
Romano
Through further strategic and diligent marketing, Havaianas gained a
foothold in European and American markets. Like in Brazil, it was picked
up by consumers of all backgrounds and ages as it was cheap and easy to wear.
Adding to its appeal was the fact that it symbolized Brazilian culture and a
laidback lifestyle that people wanted to buy into, especially if they were
heading on vacation or planning on spending a summer poolside.
“Havaianas doesn't own anything. Havaianas doesn't want to plant a flag anywhere.
It's a lifestyle for people who are comfortable enough in their skin that they can chill,
they can relax,” says Romano. “It's how you feel in the summer. It's a summer vacation
mindset. It's warm, but it's not warm because of the temperature. It's joy, but not in
the sense of you have to be smiley and happy. It's joy because there's a sense of contentment.
That's the lifestyle.”
In 2003, Havaianas was gifted to all Oscar nominees in its swag-heavy
gift bags and soon after, had acquired an impressive following of A
listers (google any 2000s celebrity and you’ll probably find them
papped in Havaianas) as they were the ideal footwear to slip on
during hot LA summer days.
Lately, the flip flop has undergone a mini-revival cropping
up on the feet of the Kardashians and, last summer, Copenhagen’s
it girls, who switched out their Stan Smiths for Havaianas,
choosing it for its supremely simple design that adds just the
right amount of nonchalance to a dressed-up outfit.
This laidback, sun-soaked vibe is inextricable from the Havaianas brand, and it's what makes sliding on a pair of its flip flops so immediately freeing. For some, this will always be a brand reserved for the beach, while others will be open to integrating them into their everyday wardrobe. However, regardless of your personal opinions, there’s no denying that Havaianas is the ultimate Brazilian brand and the unrivalled champion of the humble flip flop.
Credits
Creative direction
Janak Jani
Design
Alessandro Lettieri
Art direction
Stella Richter
Editorial
Lucy Thorpe
Digital Product Management
Shaun Roach
Project Management
Bruno Pellitteri & Sarah Vielhaus
Development
Katerina Vaseva
Archive Imagery
Havaianas
Collaboration images
Havaianas
photographers
Marcelo Alcaide & Cassia Tabatini
Image Credits
“How Flip Flops Became a Thing”
and “International Dominance”
Photography
Ahmed Credily
Model
Alessandra Corbetta
Model
Jennifer Burri
Model
Regillio Weerwind
Model
Yosuke Kaneshiro
Creative direction
Tom Lee
Styling
Lorena Maza
Styling Assistant
Ivana Heredia
H&MU
Anne Timper
Production
Semjon Pitschugin
