Apparently, it’s called Hawaianas in some other countries.
I found they have some new products when I went to the shop the other day. There are very shiny Havaianas with color gradations now! They look so nice! It said "The best present for your mother" where they were on display in the store.
The Havaianas brand was born in 1962 with inspiration coming from Japanese sandals. Because the toe thong is made of soft rubber, it doesn’t hurt between the big toe and the second toe, even if you wear them for a long time, and the sole has some firmness, which is nicer on your feet even when you go walking. The surface of the sole actually has a rice grain pattern on it. Even if they get wet, they dry quickly, which is good. The brand was named after Hawaii, which was in the spotlight in the 1960s for its beaches and the ocean.
The first Havaianas ever sold had white soles with sky blue sides, and the toe thong was the same sky blue. Later on, they brought out ones where the sky blue parts were black or pink. It was mainly poor people who bought them because they were so cheap, the quality was good, and they lasted a long time. Then in the 1990s they brought out the Havaianas Sky model to try and change the impression people had of them being flip-flops for the poor. They made their flip-flops more colorful, raised the price, and launched marketing campaigns targeting the wealthy with advertisements featuring actresses modeling Havaianas. It was around that time that they changed from displaying their flip-flops in stores on shelves to vertical displays, which made the colors and designs instantly visible.
The strategy was successful, and from then on, Havaianas have been a big hit. You can get all sorts of colors, models, toe thong widths, toe thongs made of cloth, shiny pins on the toe thong, bags, towels, small pouches, T-shirts, key chains, hats, socks, and so on. Nowadays, people wear Havaianas not only on the beach, but also indoors and when they go out. So, lots of people who used to have one pair of Havaianas for the beach now have a few pairs. As you would expect, there is a wide range of designs, with flowers, animals, the sea, princesses, and characters like Mario and Mickey Mouse. They also have kids’ sizes, so you can look stylish wearing them together with your children. The popular ones among women are the pure white ones with a slim toe thong, and among men, ones that are entirely blue with the Brazilian flag on the toe thong.
It’s summer at the end of the year in Brazil, so they’re a good gift idea for your friends.
It is the custom for the bride and groom to give flip-flops, not necessarily Havaianas, as gifts to guests at wedding dance parties. Dancing in high heels has its limitations for women, so changing into flip-flops means they can have a better time at the party. And because the flip-flops are a gift, the names of the bride and groom are written on them.
It isn’t the custom in Brazil to take off your shoes at the front door and change into indoor slippers, as it is in Japan. You go into your home wearing the shoes you wear outside. So, there is no difference in the floor levels at the front door, and there is no shoe cupboard. But when you’re at home, you just slip into some relaxed flip-flops or similar footwear, instead of wearing shoes.
I think the only people in Brazil who make it a habit to take off their shoes at the entrance are from Asia. But lately more Brazilians are taking off their shoes before they go into their homes to prevent the spread of COVID-19, so from now on there might be more shoe cupboards at people’s front doors.
