Between the Toes: The 8 Best Flip-Flops

Posted: June 24, 2015

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One thing that's gotten me to where I am in life is the wisdom of Jimmy Buffett. I take his advice, heed his warnings, and learn from his mistakes. For example, never again will I allow myself to waste away in Margaritaville without a shaker of salt on hand, or while wearing the kind of flip-flops that blow out when I step on a pop top. In fact, this summer I might even buy salt shakers in bulk, and get a pair of flip-flops with a built-in bottle opener that can initiate the top popping themselves. Here are my picks for the 8 Best Flip-Flops for Summer 2015. (Sorry, I'm keeping all the salt shaker secrets to myself.)

(Note: All items' prices are listed as they were at printing. Prices are subject to change.)

Reef Fanning Sandals $35 to $50. Leather with a rubber sole and air-cushion heel for added comfort. And added height for the vertically challenged. Bonus: a concealed bottle opener resides on the outsole.

Sanuk Yoga Mat Flip-Flops $20 to $35. Sanuk uses real, squishy, foot-contouring yoga mats to make several lines of flip-flops for both men and women. I tried on a pair once a few years ago in the company's homeland of Southern California and they were probably the most comfortable things ever to touch my feet. Well, except for that Pomeranian-skin rug and my girlfriend, She-Ra: Princess of Power's tongue.... Definitely the most comfortable shoes though.

Teva Men's Classic Flip-Flop $20 to $30. In complementary contrast to the Sanuks Teva's flip-pimps aren't comfortable because they're soft and squishy but because they're structured and bumpy. A firm sole and textured footbed provide support, grip, and even a little foot massage. They're also decent looking, which is kind of amazing given how hideously ugly and Velcro-laden the Teva OG sandals are.

Freewaters Scamp Sandal $40. Sanuk + Teva = Freewaters? These flip-flops combine the cush of Therm-a-Rest footbed technology with the undulations of a wavy surface that ushers water along and promotes air circulation to keep feet cool. Grip, flexibility, and arch support are also a check, check, and check.

OluKai Ohana Thong $65. I can't write about flip-flops without giving a hana me ka lima to the instant comfort and lasting support of OluKai's Ohana thongs. What's that, hana me ka lima means "to work with the hands"? Huh. Well how do you say, "to take a load off the feet" in Hawaiian?

Vionic Tide Sandals $65. These relative newcomers incorporate Orthaheel technology. So if you struggle with wearing flip-flops due to plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinitis, bone spurs, or similar, their orthotic-like fit might enable you to don the toe thongs with your boys this summer after all.

Coors Light Bottle Opener Flip-Flops $20. Who drinks Coors Light from the bottle? And aren't they twist-off anyway? Still, I include these sandals because it's always handy to have a bottle opener on your shoe, and this particular brand could be a good choice for dudes who not only hate tapping the Rockies, but also want to walk all over them whilst using their built-in tool to crack open a brew that doesn't suck. For those who prefer/hate Miller Light/the color brown more, go with these.

FlipSidez Sand Imprint Flip-Flops $25. Follow Me. Bring Beer. Enough said.

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