When I opened up my FLACS Turbo flip flops to review them, the first thing I noticed was that they’re quite flat. No, not quite flat, they are extremely flat. My first clue should have been in the name. It says it right there on their website: FLACS is short for “flaco” which means “thin” in Spanish. Well, I’ll add that to the extremely long list of reasons that I regret not taking Spanish; I would have known what to expect.
The FLACS flip flops look stylish, with their vegan “leather” and little details. Like the knot on the top of the strap that gives them a casual, almost nautical flair. They really do look like they would go with just about any summer outfit, from jean-shorts and a tee to capris to a jersey-knit dress or even preppy chinos and a button-up.
But boy are they flat! Why am I obsessed with them being flat? Well, as a woman who inherited “bad feet” from her dad, I need arch support in ALL my footwear. Sorry Dad, I regret ever rolling my eyes at your claims of needing to wear shoes in my house because of your “bad feet,” and congrats on passing along the genetic baton of “Bad Feet” to me.
“Why am I obsessed with them being flat?”
When I say, “bad feet”, I’m not talking about how my feet look. Because they look like just any other pair of normal feet. No, I’m talking about the fact that my feet need the full support of, nearly prescription, shoes or my entire body will ache as a result of said “bad feet” taking their revenge in unexpected places, like my knees or hips, for not being supported properly. I realize that I sound like a geriatric curmudgeon, but I’m actually a thirty-something Mom with a pre-school aged daughter and a husband who’s unable to keep from rolling his eyes whenever I moan about my aches and pains from…wearing the “wrong” shoes. I can only imagine what my future holds for my feet…thanks Dad.
So, when the FLACS Turbo flip flops arrived, I basically thought, whelp, here’s another cute pair of flip-flops that I can’t really wear. I put them on anyway, and I was somewhat impressed. No, my arches weren’t supported, BUT they are surprisingly comfortable for being such thin and flat flip flops.
My feet felt solidly in place with no sliding back and forth, I didn’t have to curl my toes to keep them on my feet or do the dreaded stutter-step trying to nonchalantly slide my toes back up to the front without tripping and falling. In fact, my feet did not have to work at all to keep them on and believe me I tested them.
“…they are surprisingly comfortable for being such thin and flat flip flops.”
I walked to the park, chased my daughter across wet grass, I walked through mud (yes mud), and they stayed on and kept up with me. I didn’t even lose them when the mud was trying to claim them as I blazed a new trail finding a short-cut through a construction site near my house. Yes, the Road Not Taken in this case, was muddy, but my FLACS handled it like a champ.
THEN I hosed them off and left them to dry in the sun. It didn’t affect them at all. They literally look as good as the day I got them. These things are hearty! The soles have great grip, but yet they still manage to stay thin, which is quite amazing.
I confess that I did have some aches after wearing them, but that’s really due to the construction of my feet, not the FLACS flip flops. Their thin profile and versatility would make them wonderful travel shoes…if we ever get to travel again. But until then, they work great for a beach BBQ, a country picnic, or a city promenade.
FLACS has lofty goals with statements like, “Americas new favorite flip flop,” proudly displayed on their website, but after trying them, I’d say they may not be far off the mark – if they insert the word “flat” into that statement. The FLACS Turbo flip flops are definitely my favorite new thin flip flop.
