It’s supportive but much softer than plasticky polyurethane, making it ideal for inner soles, ergonomic footbeds and comfy toe thongs.

Some users also complain that the canvas toe post chafes, but again this is likely to ease after you’ve worn them in. The deep shock-absorbing EVA foam footbed (“Oofoam”) gives the appearance of support shoes, but your feet (and legs and back) will be in such heaven you won’t care. Leather is more durable than rubber, and can be treated to be super-soft or tough and waterproof enough to outlive you.Whether you’re surfing, barb-queuing, metal detecting, sand castle building, day drinking, guitar playing, or just hanging at the beach. The Western world was slow to catch on – soldiers brought them back from Japan after World War 2 – but now we’re addicted, and the unmistakable flip-flop “schlop” is one of the sounds of the summer. On the upside, their EVA (or “Phylon”, to use Nike’s branding) rubber is much softer than waterproof plastic, so they won’t rub your feet or make you sweaty like a pair of old-fashioned jelly shoes would. They also mould to your feet over time, which means it’s worth putting up with a slight pinch at first.

The result of this extensive development is the great sandals perfectly suited to the active beer-drinking layabouts. So, they created a high-quality sandal that could keep up with their active (ahem, party) lifestyle.

You wouldn’t want to walk far in them, though, and some users complain that the strap rubs, especially if your feet are on the wide side. But if you’re determined to join the legions of flip-flopping surfies, then look for excellent traction when wet, quick-drying material and soles thick enough to protect your feet from sharp objects. Havaianas are as affordable as a really good-quality pair of flip-flops can be, though, and they look fabulous.