Brandy and I were playing “get in the nook” in the dining room and I slipped and broke one of my flip flops. This is a pretty big deal because these were the best flip flops I have ever owned. Most flip flops are pretty standard, with a plastic or vinyl toe-part and hard, flat rubber sole. This model works pretty well for normal walking, but the real flaw comes when the floor becomes the least bit wet. On any wet or slick surface these ordinary flip flops become “whoa” flip flops, or death traps. The default behavior or hard rubber on a slick surface is to slide, which doesn’t work out that well for walking.

Now a few years ago The Gap came out with these flips flops that deviated from the normal design in that they had soft treaded rubber soles instead of hard flat ones, not to mention the soft vinyl toe-parts on the top. The shoes don’t slip on wet surfaces; they just allow you to walk normally! When I saw these I bought as many pairs as I could, which was 2. The summer season was over so the flip flop stock was dwindling, but I bought as many as I could find in my size (1) and then another for good measure. Texas summers last a lot longer than fashion summers, so I was still able to wear them for several months. I was upset that I couldn’t find any more, but I figured that I would be able to pick more up next year. I mean with such a solid product they had to bring it back next year, right? Wrong. Instead they came out with these ugly flip flops that had leather/suede on top and hard rubber soles, similar to the old Tevas but much harder, making them very slippery when walking on wet surfaces. In addition to that the leather would soak up any water and make even the shoes slippery. The shoes may have been fashionable, but they were not the least bit practical. The Gap had failed me.

I’ve been waiting for these flip flops to re-appear since that fateful year, and they have yet to show up anywhere. The closest I have found were a pair that friend of mine had purchased in Colorado, made by Teva, and of course they don’t sell them in Houston. I thought about taking a tourist trip up to get a pair and seeing some sights as well, but I thought that sounded a bit extreme.

That’s the story of the best flip flops I have ever owned. I was very upset about the loss, especially since it was the pair that fit correctly. The other pair are little big and feel a little gangly on me. Brandy felt [pretty bad about it, because I was very sad, but that didn’t keep her from almost peeing herself with laughter over my slip-and-break. I really hope The Gap comes out with these flip flops again, and if so I know that this time I will but at least 5, probably 10. I have learned that if you like something a lot (and I liked these way more than a lot) you should buy a bunch, because products that are fashionable and products that are well designed only synch up on rare occasions.