It is one of the simplest shoes on the planet: a piece of plastic, roughly

the outline of your foot, with a crude strap holding the sole to your toes. Yet Brazil’s

Havaianas brand took the humble flip-flop to new heights. The company behind them

was sold for $1bn (£780m). Selling about 200 million pairs every year, it had produced a

domestic and international phenomenon. Across the country, there are whole shops

dedicated to them. Rows and rows, in all colours and styles. There are strappy ones, shiny

ones, ones in the colour of your favourite football team, ones with huge platform

wedges. The colourful rubber shoes have become synonymous with Brazil. Many carry a

little Brazilian flag on their strap. “Havaianas embodies Brazil’s fun, vibrant &

spontaneous way of life,” claims the company’s Twitter account. And it is this strong

identity that has helped it hold its own, against cheap versions of what is an easy-toreplicate design.


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