Flipping for Flops

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I have to give you a little background on this one. For several years now, as I have seen the flip-flop morph from "that rubber thing you wear at the public pool" to "suitable footwear for a visit to the White House," I have consistently ranted (usually to my poor husband, who neither notices nor cares what women wear on their feet) about the sad decline in standards in Today's Modern World.

But at the same time, my feet have become increasingly less tolerant of heels. They pinch, they hurt, they make me think twice about going to the ladies room because I don't want to have to go another twenty-five steps.

Then this spring, my son went to his Junior Prom. I got to drop him and his date off at the banquet center, and thus got an eyeful of what the girls were wearing for this, the most important formal of their young lives. Lots of them were in the traditional, kick-them-off-after-the-second-dance heels. But a significant number were wearing pretty, blinged-out sandals. Flip-flops, to be precise.

Fast forward to Thrillerfest. As I write this, it's nearing midnight, and I've been on my feet for most of the day. But instead of having to soak the dogs in a sitz bath, I'm wiggling my happy toes in the Grand Hyatt carpet. Why? Because I've been wearing a pair of blinged-out flops all day. Oh, they're made of leather, not rubber, and they have a bitty strap, but they're flops all the same. I wore a different pair, with a thick, wedged bottom, on the trip down to NYC. I have given in. I have thrown in the towel, I have flipped on flops, and it feels great.

What do you think, Reds? Should we all start wearing flops on flights? Can they go to summer weddings? And does this mean I'm just one step away from wearing Birkenstocks with socks during the winter?

HALLIE EPHRON: I'm all for comfortable shoes - nothing makes more of a difference in my mood, except perhaps if I've had my morning coffee. And I WISH I could wear flip-flops, but they hurt. Not more than heels, but they do hurt, and my poor little toe muscles go into a virtual rictus of protest.

But here's the question: if you wear them does that mean you have to have painted your toenails?

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Yes, Hallie, you do have to paint your toenails! This from one who lives in flip flops from April to October, whether is cheap rubber ones around the house or different levels of bling when going out.  You can even get orthopedic flip flops! I'm all for anything that will actually let you stand and WALK without being torture. (Think of Bouchercon in SF, when I walked blocks back to my hotel in my cocktail dress, carrying my snazzy heels.  Of course, I do wear socks with my Tevas in the winter, so maybe I'm not the best fashion guru....

RHYS BOWEN: I couldn't believe my eyes in a catalog that arrived at my house the other day--flip-flops for nearly 200 dollars??  Two tiny straps of leather on a sole and it wasn't as if they had real diamonds stuck on them. Another indication that the world has gone mad.

But I'm secretly glad that high heels are no longer required with formal wear. I've never yet found a comfortable pair and I'm in awe of Hank and her elegant high heels. I do manage a two inch heel on occasion but guess what--I've bought a pair of bejeweled flip-flops for the formal nights on the Queen Mary next month.And I do paint my toe-nails (even indulge in the occasional pedicure with my daughters)


JAN BROGAN: Yes, Hallie. You must have your toes painted. That's the downside. But the upside is worth it. Have you all discovered FIT FLOPS? I swear I am not working on commission, but these are not instead of high heels, these are instead of sneakers. No kidding, they have sparkling ones the look good (but not for the prom) for day wear. Really, last summer when I was in France, I did not have a car. I had to walk everywhere and probably clocked four to five miles a day, most of the time on cobblestone and often up the steep 1 mile hill to my friend's houses.  I have temperamental feet that need a lot of support, this sandals were better than my running shoes. I tried to walk around New York City one day in regular flip flops and did serious damage to the bottom of my feet.  The world is not going to hell in a hand basket, Julia, it's moving just that much further away than the feet-binding the Chinese initiated and we've been inadvertently carrying out.

LUCY BURDETTE: I have bad feet too, Jan, and I blame it partly on wearing heels back in the days when I used to waitress. I thought I looked very glamorous, but now I pay. My go-to shoes as long as it's not snowing are Mephisto sandals. They have a high arch and lots of support and I can walk anywhere in them. Hallie, if you're getting a pair, do as Rhys suggests and splurge on the pedicure too--heaven!

HANK PHILLPPI RYAN: Rhys, I cannot wait to see photos of your cruise. Fabulous.
I still think of rubber flip-flops as beach things..I wear them around the house
and at the pool, but no where else. My family all hoots at me because one year
J Crew had a huge flip-flop sale, and it was all flips were five dollars. I
FLIPPED and you cannot believe what's stored upstairs now. (And still I default
to the black ones, sigh.) Jan, my producer Mary wears FitFlops (to work!) and
loves them, too..

But I think leather "flip-flops" are not FF's. They're sandals. And that's a
different deal. Perfectly acceptable everywhere. Except in a TV interview. (Isaw someone do that the other day..and I thought: Eeeeww. Feet on TV.)   




JULIA: Pedis are a must. But after hiding my feet inside boots (outdoor and indoor) for six months, I like showing off some snazzy nail polish. Added benefit: unlike the polish on my fingernails, which chips off almost every time I start writing on my laptop, my pedi color lasts for weeks. Unless I take up toe-typing, I suppose.

How about you, dear readers? Are you sticking with your stillettos? Or have you, too, flipped for flops?

Flipping and Flopping

HANK: I did it! And it means summer is here. I broke out--the flip flops! I love flip flops, I'm sorry to say, especially since some report just came out saying they're bad for your feet. No arch support, no toe protection, probably dangerous. Whatever. I don't wear them to the grocery store (which seems a little skeevy), or out in public to anywhere but the beach, but I do wear them at home! Like bare feet, only cuter.

Thing is, they are SO CHEAP and somehow I find them irresistible. I even just bought some from the MBTA, the subway system in Boston, because they have a map of the subways on them. Silly, yes. I have some that are stars and stripes for the Fourth of July. One foot is stars, one foot is stripes. And since they often only cost five dollars, you get all the fun of buying shoes without any of the drawbacks. (Drawbacks being spending too much money.)

If I showed you how many flip flops I have, I'd be embarrassed. But let me say there is a place in our house my husband calls the flip-flop room. He is, of course, exaggerating.

But wearing flip flops is such a sign of summer to me! What's your, um, stand on flip flops? Let's talk about your summer footwear. Espadrilles? Wedges? Bare feet?

RHYS: I go barefoot most of the year (in the house and garden) but I've never been good with flip flops. Strange feet, I guess. My summer uniform is a pair of Naturalizer Natural Sport sandals that are supportive enough to use for hiking. I have been looking for a pair of cute but elegant espadrilles because I decided that flat is too dorky. Could not find any. Either so high that I had to duck through the doorposts, or flat. What happened to the two inch heel for people who are not Hank and thus in danger of breaking their ankles in high heels?

ROSEMARY: Flip-flops...at home, on the beach or in hotels. Nowhere else. It drives me batty when I see girls dressed for work or an evening out and wearing flip-flops on the streets of New York. I see broken glass, rocks and just plain schmutz! Why would you subject your freshly pedicured little piggies to that without some protection? But what do I know - I still wear Crocs.

It does kill me to put my beloved cowboy boots on hiatus for the summer. I'm just not one of those gals who can wear boots with a floral dress without feeling like I should have a hat and a guitar. My go-to summer footwear? Wedges. As high as I can find them so I look as tall as Hank.

(HANK: Have you seen these very cute very French-looking Tom's espadrille wedges?? Love them.)

JAN: I'm with you Ro, I always feel a little bit of sadness when I put away my Uggs and Frye Boots for the summer. My feet look a lot better covered all the way up to the knees, but I love flip flops. Not to sound like a commercial or anything, but I especially love the "fit flops" (any brand will do) because they offer such support for your foot that you can wear them anywhere. I think someone should pay me a royalty for saying that, though, don't you?

HANK: OOh. What are fit flops?

DEBS: I live in Texas, dearies. I put on my flip flops the beginning of April and wear them until October. I go barefoot most of the time in the house, or wear molded spa flips flops. Can't wear Hank's $5 pairs--foam bottoms have zero arch support. If I'm doing something that requires a bit more support than the spa flips, like cleaning or gardening, I wear my incredibly dorky Tevas. (And don't tell anyone, but in the winter I wear the Tevas in the house with hand-knitted socks. The epitome of dorkiness.)

HANK: We'll never tell!

DEBS: And yes, I wear flip flops out. Everyone here does. I have several nice leather pairs. But next year I want fit flops (and yes, Jan, I think you should get royalties). I bought a pair of Sketcher tone up-boots last winter (same principle, I think), and loved them so much I practically had to be pried out of them. And I'm sure my rear end looked the better for wearing them:-)

ROBERTA: Debs, I've got you beat in the dorky department: Birkenstocks with socks:). I can't wear flip-flops because of chronic plantar fasciitis. But I have four or five pairs of Mephisto sandals in different colors--expensive but I can walk just about anywhere in them and that means a lot! I can't imagine there's a pair of shoes out there that would cause me to have to duck under a door Rhys!

HALLIE: I have no idea why but I cannot wear any shoe with a toe thong... or you know that, whatchacallit. In the house all summer I'm barefoot.

I just bought a wonderful pair of sandals from a company (Alegria) that (okay, I know this sounds REALLY dorky) designs shoes for women whose jobs require them to stand a lot (nurses) - they're cute though not remotely sexy and incredibly comfy. And I can wear them on an all-day walking-around visit to New York, though I carry a pair of ankle socks in my purse if my feet start to hurt. Talk about dorkiness squared.

Running out right now and googling Mephisto...

JAN: Fit Flops, for the uninitiated (and this gets me even more royalties) are supposedly designed so you tone up your legs and butt while you walk. I sort of doubt that (here's where they deduct royalties) but they are designed with thick, and supposedly contoured bottoms, that let you walk as far as you might with good walking/running shoes. Much more support than say, Keds. I have foot problems too, Roberta, but maybe different ones.

ROSEMARY: Roberta, I knew you had Birkenstocks...ever since you posted that picture of yourself in overalls. I thought "that girl has worn Birkenstocks!"
;-)
I have a pair of Mephistos, very comfy. And in Hank's honor, I bought two pairs of flip-flops today at Wal-Mart...sequins and a slight wedge for drinks on the deck and plain red for everyday. I'm all set. BTW..I also bought a hula hoop! Will keep you posted on how that goes.

HANK: You know, you guys are all SO CUTE. You really are.

How about you other Reds? Summer shoes?