I wasn’t really sure what I would be getting into when I ordered the Columbia Sorrento Leather Flip Flop. They looked nice, the price was right and well….I need flip flops to review.
I used to live, maybe I still live in the NW – I live in a lot of places. The last time I bought Columbia was a shirt at REI. I enjoy Columbia shirts, they look fine, wear for a while and for the most part never need ironing. What more could one need? Clothing and not having to own an iron.
They arrived, everything about them was fine.
I’ve always liked the Columbia brand for what it was. Good stuff, decent prices, nice aesthetics, not a lot to prove. You bought it and wore it. Move over pretty boys. That’s exactly how these flipflops played out.
They arrived, everything about them was fine. The un-boxing was…fine. Upon meeting my feet, there was a very clear understanding – the flip flop was going to feel good right out of the box, no break-in needed…but in exchange they weren’t going to ever really change. The industrial foam and rubber multilayer cake sole was just about at its peak comfort and could promise this for at least two years before completely unwinding in a matter of days in what will ultimately be foam dust as they decide to rejoin their Petro-based brethren in the afterworld.
They are thick, not un-necessarily so and not clumsy, but almost twice the height of the minimalist Ugg Seaside flips.
I packed these for a trip to Bangkok and the high sole was a welcome barrier from the rising street goo from the spring rain. They served me as well as an infantry solder knowing his place in battle. Despite the risks, we proceeded forward, both aware of the potential fate of the brave draftee. The entirely un-natural material made cleanup easy once we were safely out of the muck. I could feel their sense of duty and appreciation on returning home – ready to be re-deployed when needed.
It’s Ugg peers would have whinged the entire time, while the cork bedding would have soaked up a permanent ick as a festering scar from a battle it never wanted to be part of.
No heads turned, but no pocketbooks drained either.
The fit and finish are exactly what one would expect from a Vietnamese class B spec factory. Everything machined a bit too precisely, not a lot of love here, not a lot of hate. The sole has all the practicality of someone looking to make a nice value flipflop with traction and a look that transcends age and fashion.
Yeah, I’ll wear these again; they’re like that eighth-round draft pick that goes in during the fourth quarter, they don’t clinch the game, they also don’t lose it. They fill a gap in playtime, most loyal fans know their name, and twice a year they get a starting role when their peer has a crushing hangover the flu.
These are excellent utility flipflops, just like their shirts, shorts, jacket. No heads turned, but no pocketbooks drained either.
