Why It's TOTALLY Worth It to Buy Expensive Flip Flops

I recently wrote 8 Good Reasons to Spend MORE, Not LESS, Money. If I were to go back and add a 9th reason, it would be: you only have one pair of feet.

In fact, if you're going to ignore everything in that whole blog post except for one thing, it should be that. It'a hard to be happy when you don't have healthy feet.

But it's not just about health and happiness -- it's also about value! 

When it comes to men’s shoes, you definitely get what you pay for. Buy one nice pair and take care of them, and they’ll last forever. The cost-per-wear actually works out to less than when you buy cheaper shoes. So “expensive” is actually a relative term.

​Women's shoes are a different ball game. 

But then... there are flip flops, the shoes many people wear most often. In no other instance has the phrase, "You get what you pay for," been more applicable. When I wear a pair of flip flops like this:

my shins start to get sore within a couple of minutes. I suppose they’re fine for the shower, in a pinch…

But why would you wear something that could permanently damage something you use every single day, that you only have two of, when you could spend a little more money and actually have therapeutic benefits?

I wear these OOFOS flip flops. They’re about $40, which is pretty expensive for flip flops…

but they last forever. I had my first pair for three years before the traction wore down too much to be practical -- but I would have gone through at least four or five pairs of $10 flip flops in that time, all while giving myself little stress fractures in my shin.

So not only did I save money, but I also had the luxurious experience of wearing flip flops that were soft, soothing, and comfortable.

According to the OOFOS website, these shoes were "biomechanically engineered to alleviate the foot stress and soreness caused by your daily grind. Perfect for casual wear, recovery after a grueling run, or relaxing after a long day on your feet."

I don't know how much scientific basis there is to that claim. But if feeling is believing, I do know that these shoes feel great! And even though a small part of me once said, "$40 for a pair of flip flops is ridiculous," I've since seen the light. 
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If you really can't stomach the look of OOFOS (I mean, they kind of are the Crocs version of flip flops), I can also recommend OluKai footwear. I had a gorgeous pair of turquoise flippies from there for years before I discovered the lighter, seemingly therapeutic OOFOS.

One thing I liked about both of these designs is that they didn't do that thing where they get a little wet and start flying off of your feet. I wore these in the water all the time. It made them slightly slippery to walk in, but I could definitely still walk -- and even scramble -- around in them.

And if you want something like flop flops in terms of temperature and ease, but believe, like my cousin Chris, that no one who wears flip flops takes themselves seriously, I can recommend my most recent shoe purchase: 

The Merrell Mimix Joy Casual Slip On, $19.95-$110.00. (Oh, to be a size five and snag all these amazing shoe deals!)

They look great, they're super comfy, and! They have that special hard rubber bottom that Merrell uses in some of their performance gear, so you're always ready for an impromptu hike through the rocky wilderness.