Flip flops are a wardrobe staple. They are in style every season and have not gone out of fashion ever, unlike almost every other trend through the decades. This is largely thanks to the fact that flip flops are just so simple.
All flip flops are made up of only two elements: a footbed and straps. When it comes to something so simple, only the design will set each pair apart. This challenges manufacturers to get creative with the materials, style, and execution of their flip flops – to breathe fresh air into a staple that’s been around forever.
The Sperry Marina does not disappoint.
In some ways, the Sperry Marina Beach flip flop is nothing like the first pair of Sperry flip flops we reviewed, the Sperry Baitfish. For starters, the Sperry Marina flip flops are rubber where the Baitfish, were essentially a flip flop version of the leather Sperry Top Sider boat shoe. However, in other ways the Sperry Marina Beach flip flops remain true to the Sperry core values.
First and foremost, of these values, as I see it, is Seadazzling. The Sperry Marina Beach flip flop has that in spades, but more subtly so, sort of.
The navy blue footbed is decorated with the most wonderful and bright red images of crabs and lobster. The images are neither too cartoonish nor too anatomical, they’re a mix of both and are done just right. What could easily come off as tacky or kitsch is done appropriately and tastefully by the well-seasoned and obviously slaty design crew at Sperry. I surprise myself at how much I like this design. Sure, it’s a bit cheesy and trite, but it is also wonderful. The handful of red crustaceans on the footbed make it clear that these flip flops belong on the beach. And I’m determined to take them there.
“…the most wonderful bright red images of crabs and lobster.”
The Seadazzled theme carries through from the footbed to the strap. The strap is sweeping, bright orange and sleek. Like the massive spinnaker on a racing yacht. The straps look simultaneously serious and fun. Ready to take on the sea, surf, and sand. These rubber straps keep the Sperry Marina Beach flip flops firmly in place with no need for toe curl or shuffled steps. Allowing the wearer to walk confidently across the beach, marina, or boardwalk.
The cushy navy blue footbed sits atop a durable white outsole that provides ample traction on any surface the average beachgoer might encounter. The pattern of the tread is unique and hard to describe. It is made up of a series of lines that run from heal to toe but arch here and there in a simultaneously random yet organized pattern, like the ripples of a wake that fans out behind a boat at cruising speed.
These days, for the most part people dress pretty casually. Which means that most of us have just one “wardrobe”. The once bright line between work wear and home wear is now blurred at best and, for some of us, nonexistent. Yet, there remains, in my mind, one bastion of fashion genre that remains steadfastly apart. Beachwear.
“…they are the beach.”
Beachwear best sums up the very spirit of the Sperry Marina Beach flip flop. A trip to the beach brings with it a real desire for unique attire. Shorts, light tops (if any top at all) and most importantly flip flops are on the menu. These flip flops cry for the beach every bit as much as a pail and bucket.
Not only do these flip flops look the part, they are also incredibly comfortable to wear. The lightweight sole combined with the durable but comfortable strap make them light and easy to navigate in.
Though there is no visible arch, the combination of soft and firm of the footbed provide plenty of support. I’ve worn them for long periods of time without a single ache or pain. Walking in them is a joy.
They work wonderfully well on cement, wood and even grass but are most at home on the beach.
We’ve well documented within these pages the fact that world of flip flops covers a broad range. From fancy to foppish to slovenly to rustic, flip flops, as I’ve said before, have range. Yet, despite this amazing range, there is no home more home than the beach for flip flops. The Sperry Marina Beach flip flops are among the kings of that castle. Said simply, they are the beach.
