Wearing flip-flops in the winter sounds like the worst idea, with your toes likely freezing within a few minutes of being out and about. But what if your flip-flop has a detachable hood that you can put on to turn it into proper cold weather shoes? That’s exactly what they did with the Havaianas x Market Zip Top Slides.
The newest collab between the two brands, this one features an all-new silhouette that can transform from summer flip-flops to winter-ready puffer shoes through the use of a detachable upper. That’s right, this thing has an insulated puffer upper that can zip on and off as needed, allowing you to spend the cold days of the year wearing the same flip-flops you rocked all through the warm summer months.
The Havaianas x Market Zip Top Slides is a chunky-looking pair of flip-flops, with a thicker sole and wider straps than the brand’s usual slip-ons. It appears to have a pretty wide profile, too, which should help for accommodating the add-on upper. And yes, it looks like any standard flip-flop that’s perfect for frolicking in the beach, albeit with odd zipper teeth along the edges of the footbed. The zipper teeth thy incorporated does blend in rather than stand out, though, so folks will rarely even notice it unless they look closely.
Of course, those zipper teeth are there to let you attach the included quilted upper, which turns the erstwhile open slipper into insulated puffer slides. How warm is that upper? We’re not entirely sure, but it does look like the kind of sufficiently toasty quilted uppers you’ll find in most cold weather slip-ons. Sure, it’s definitely still not the kind of shoe you’ll want to wear while galivanting around town during winter season, but it does look like comfy footwear you won’t mind keeping on while clearing the driveway or driving down to the local takeout spot.
The Havaianas x Market Zip Top Slides combines a cushioned bed, an EVA foam midsole for comfort, and a sole made from rubber for grip, albeit with a rice pattern on the outsole that looks more suited for the beach than wet and icy ground. So yeah… this probably wears best to keep your feet toasty indoors during winter, all while getting outdoor play during warmer weather. It pairs those with a thong-style toe post, wide straps, nylon zipper, and a 100 percent polyester quilted upper.
The toe post and straps stay on the whole time, whether it’s in flip-flop or winter shoe mode, so it wears much like a flip-flop at all times, with your toes able to secure on the post and straps. That means, there are less chances of this thing slipping off your foot even if the upper wears a little lose. The upper comes with a cinch on the back, by the way, so you can tighten it if it wears a bit too loose (and, by the looks of it, the upper’s intentionally designed to be a bit loose).
The Havaianas x Market Zip Top Slides are available now, priced at $120.