Havaianas

A pair of green Havaianas Top
A pair of black Havaianas Top being worn
A pair of white Havaianas Brazil, originally designed to show support for the Brazilian team in the 1998 FIFA World Cup

Havaianas is a brand of flip-flop sandals created by Scotsman Robert Fraser in 1962. It is currently owned by Brazilian manufacturing company Alpargatas. Inspired by Japanese zōri sandals, Fraser became the first to mass-produce flip-flops out of rubber.[1] The name Havaianas is derived from the Portuguese word for "Hawaiians", and the pattern on the soles of the sandals is designed to resemble the straw soles of zōri. Originally, all Havaianas featured white insoles with colored outsoles and straps. Because of their simplicity and low price, the sandals became popular with Brazil's lowest social classes.[2] A fashion trend starting in the 1990s involved inverting the sole to make the coloured outsole face upwards, creating the appearance of a monochrome sandal. In response, Havaianas released a new line of eight one-colour sandals called Havaianas Top in 1994. Citizens of higher social classes then began to wear Havaianas.[3] In 1998, with the impending FIFA World Cup in France, Havaianas introduced a line of flip-flops featuring a small Brazilian flag on the strap to show support of the Brazilian team. [4] Havaianas flip-flops are the most popular in the world, with 150 million pairs being made every year.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "Growth - How Havaianas Became a Global Brand.". IMD Business School. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Brazil's Rubber Soul.". CNBC Magazine. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
  3. ↑ "As Havaianas celebrates half a century, how the rubber flip flop became Brazil's most famous export.". Daily Mail. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
  4. ↑ "About Havaianas/History.". Havaianas USA. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
  5. ↑ Cain, Kathryn (July 30, 2010). "The Timeline: Flip-flops.". The Independent. Retrieved July 19, 2012.

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