What could be the biggest embarrassment and inconvenience when it comes to flip flops? For me, it’s would be this situation: you’re probably in the middle of nowhere, such as on a beach, when all of a sudden, a strap of one of your flip flops come off mid-step— naturally, when you are least expecting it— and you stumble forward!
Flipstep’s Promise: Unbreakable Straps
That exact accident happened to Khun Romi, or Mr. Gangadhar Pandey, who is the founder of Flipstep, a premium natural rubber flip-flop brand proudly created and made in Thailand. One day, while K. Romi was walking happily on the beach wearing a famous flip flop brand, the brand new and expensive pair of flip flops suddenly broke open with its straps hanging, leaving K. Romi barefoot and disappointed. That was when he decided to make the perfect pair of flip flops out of rubber, which is a natural material abundant in his country.
The Alchemist of Flippy Floppy
Armed with the goal of creating a pair of flip flops with unbreakable straps and soles that are made for walking, Khun Romi did not immediately jump into trying to make his own. Instead, he entered the industry and started manufacturing flip-flops for other brands. During this learning process, he studied, tried, and tested various methods of making the pair of flip-flops that he truly desired.
Looking back to the incident when he tried to fit the strap back into the sole of his pair of branded flip-flops but failed miserably. Khun Romi then engaged in a lot of tireless research to find “the way” to devise that unbreakable strap. That has become one of the biggest selling points of Flipstep, when he finally launched his own brand in 2021.
Khun Romi shared how COVID served as the final push for him to turn Flipstep from a dream into a reality:
“I started manufacturing flip flops in 2017, I have been dreaming to create a flip-flop brand that solved the issues I once encountered with my flip-flops, and also at an affordable price. What began as a journey to fill up my free time, became a serious process during the pandemic. Many of my clients withdrew their contracts and my flip-flop business collapsed. It was when I decided to create a business of my own and Flipstep was born.”
What I really like about Flipstep is not only they are made for comfort, but they also care about style. Their very first collection focused on pastel colours, which at the time, were lacking in the market. In addition, the brand embraced sustainability in its production. Flipstep only makes flip-flops that are made with natural rubber soles and their straps are 100% recyclable.
Quality and Affordability Go In-Step with Flipstep
Living in Thailand completely change my fleet of footwear. Nearly everywhere I go here in Thailand requires me to slip my shoes off. Spending a lot of time at beaches and swimming pools also means that waterproof footwear are preferable. Flip-flops become not only the footwear I wear around the house or at the beach, but they have also become the daily footwear I use to go literally anywhere.
I love the various stunning collections of Flipstep, the affordable price encourages me to own several styles to go with different outfits (and any new pieces of thailand women’s clothing I might stumble across) throughout the week. Flipstep flip-flops start from THB 310, while the most expensive checks in at only 850 THB. (At time of this article’s writing, 1 USD was trading at a rate of 35.85 THB.) All Flipstep collections are available in both EU and UK sizes, for both men and women. The flip flops are mostly handmade and vegan. No animals are harmed during the manufacture of Flipstep products and their flip-flops are all 100% environmentally friendly.
The quality of Flipstep is really superb. I can personally attest to this after wearing them for several months. Indeed, when I recently went on a staycation, the only two pairs of footwear I brought with me were a pair of gold Flipstep and a pair of white Gem Flipstep! The duo simply went with any piece of thailand women’s clothing I had, as well as any outfit or occasion I found myself in during my tropical vacation. These flip flops are anti-slip, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, which really give me peace of mind while walking around barefoot. They are so durable that in fact, have endured a test to carry weight up to 100kg!
When Style Meets Sustainablity
One of my favourites— which happens to be Flipstep’s most popular product— is their Metallic Collection. It is sleek in design and fits beautifully for different shapes of feet. They are also anti-flip and cradle the feet with a nice grip while walking. Unlike many flip-flops, the straps on a pair of Flipsteps are gentle and soft. The collection comes in 6 metallic colors which retail at THB 390 per pair (including VAT). As an added bonus, every pair includes a canvas storage bag made from recycled plastic waste materials. What’s more, Flipstep flip flops are washable and durable. Simply use a brush with detergent and rinse your Flipsteps with water.
Check out all of Flipstep’s collections on their fun and vibrant website, as well as on their Instagram, which can be found here: @Flipstepthailand.
Flipstep also offers additional sales channels on Line (@flipstep), as well as on ShoppeeMall and LazMall. If you’re the type that simply has to try things on in person while buying clothes in Thailand, visit current Flipstep locations at Siam Discovery and Robinson Sriracha in Bangkok. Exciting new store openings are on their way soon at Iconsiam and other branches of the Central Group.
