Every once in a while, I see reviewing flip flops less as a task to check off my to do list and more as a pure joy.
The last time this happened was while I tried out Reef Switchfoot Flip Flops.
If you’re looking for a pair of flip flops that will keep your feet feeling comfortable throughout the day, these babies are exactly what you need. Their wide straps mean they’ll stay on your feet no matter what sort of activities you’re doing. And their rubber traction gives them a firm grip on any surface—be it tile, cement, or even grass.
What is it about Reef’s rubber flip flops that make reviewing them such a joy? You’ll recall that when we reviewed the Reef Surfer flip flops we knew that maybe they weren’t really worn by surfers, but we loved them anyway. The same is true for the Reef Switchfoot flip flops. In fact, the Reef Switchfoot is essentially the same flip flop as the Reef Surfer but with a different image printed on the sole.
An image of the top half of a grove of palm trees on a midnight blue background. It’s simple yet decoratively tasteful. To me, they look like California. I know that they are just printed rubber flip flops, but I don’t care.
Now, as we established in our Havaianas Brazil flip flop review, all rubber flip flops are an attempt at improving the simple and genre defining Havaianas Brazil flip flop. In fact, Reef seems to almost out-Havaianas Havaianas.
The rubber footbed is soft and comfortable and eager to form to the shape of your feet. The thin, soft rubber straps reach far back, nearly to the heal of the foot, in as elegant a flip flop strap arch as you’ll find in a rubber flip flop. They are light, comfortable, and stylish.
There are two key areas in which the Reef Switchfoot flip flops surpass their Havaianas muses. The first is in the fit. The footbed on my size 13 Reef’s fit my feet perfectly. My toes have plenty of room and aren’t forced to peek over the front edge as they did in the Havaianas Brazil flip flops. Additionally, unlike most large-sized flip flops, the Reef Switchfoot doesn’t overdo the toe portion of the footbed which leads to clips, trips, and spills. They are true to size. Simply put, they fit.
The second area in which the Reef Switchfoot exceeds the gold standard Havaianas Brazil flip flop is in their traction. Where the Havaianas Brazil flip flop had an adequate attempt at traction with its rectangular honeycomb pattern, the Reef Switchfoot has actual traction etched into the soles in a wavey pattern resembling the lines on a topographical map.
They grooves are much deeper and the pattern is much more traction-like. That said both flip flops have fine traction, it’s just that the Reef’s seem to have put more thought and effort into theirs.
Now, when I began reviewing these flip flops I hadn’t intended to be so focused on comparing the Reef Switchfoot to the Havaianas Brazil flip flop. In fact, I had and started wearing the Reef’s well before I even received the Havaianas Brazil flip flops.
So, as the timing worked out I ended up wearing them back to back. When the Havaianas Brazil flip flops arrived I put the Reef Switchfoot flip flops aside for a couple months.
Slipping back into the Reef’s the comparison is a natural one. After thinking this over for a while now I’ve concluded that the Reef Switchfoot is to the Havaianas Brazil flip flops what a well tequila margarita is to a mid-tier tequila margarita.
Pretty much the same but slightly better in ways that are hard to pin down.
