Quality women's flip-flops with woven straps

May 31, 2020 7:59 PM

I want to buy my mom a comfortable, quality pair of flip-flops like the pair of Reefs I bought years ago and still wear - the "Ginger" flip-flops with woven fabric straps and a soft, slightly arch-supported base -- but a bunch of reviewers on their site say that the sandals are not good any more -- too rigid, not true to size, low quality. What should I buy instead?

Here are the things I'm looking for:
-- Woven straps (not leather, not plastic) that are pliable and soft
-- A soft and smooth base (if it's too rigid, it will irritate my mom's feet)
-- Quality (I'm fine with paying more, but I want them to last)
-- A tiny bit of arch support (Not required, but would be nice)

I'm disappointed that Reefs don't seem to be as good as they used to. Are there any other good brands?

posted by rogerroger to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (13 answers total)

Try Yellow Box brand. I went to them when LL Bean let me down.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 8:55 PM on May 31, 2020

Ugh, I'm sad to hear Reefs have gone downhill in quality, they were glued to my feet while I was growing up. Perhaps you could check out Sanuk brand - I'm not sure about the arch support, but they're made from yoga mats and therefore on the softer side, and have fabric straps. Zappos might sell them and their return policy is pretty good! I'll be watching this thread with interest for more options.
posted by carlypennylane at 9:59 PM on May 31, 2020 [1 favorite]

The Mush flip-flop from Teva is pretty close, although I don't know how good the quality is these days.
posted by stefanie at 10:58 PM on May 31, 2020 [4 favorites]

Seconding Sanuk. Most comfortable flip flops I've ever had.
posted by Mallenroh at 11:13 PM on May 31, 2020

Consider Vionic which has excellent arch support .
posted by jadepearl at 1:10 AM on June 1, 2020 [1 favorite]

Down here in coastal Florida, an extremely flip-flop-heavy part of the world, the gold standard for flops is Rainbows. Most of their line is all leather but they also sell a bunch of non-leather models, including nylon and hemp.
posted by saladin at 5:50 AM on June 1, 2020

Reef quality has absolutely gone downhill. Seconding Teva, both the Mush and other styles. They match the softness of footbed of (former) Reef, and last. I prefer a wider woven strap like these ones, but ymmv. To my knowledge, Teva's quality hasn't changed.
posted by csox at 6:55 AM on June 1, 2020

teva's quality has DEFINITELY gone downhill in the last decade. they were my go to for years and i loved them, and every pair i've tried in the last several years has been shorter and narrower and stiffer than my ones from the early to mid 2000s. i have tried several similar brands, including reef and sanuk, and unfortunately have found nothing i loved. i hope this question finds some good answers!
posted by misanthropicsarah at 8:21 AM on June 1, 2020

I wear nothing but Tevas and I think they’re incredibly comfortable. I just plan on buying a new pair every summer because they do wear out, but I do wear them pretty much every day from May to October.
posted by lydhre at 9:13 AM on June 1, 2020

I'm a grandmother. I don't wear flip-flops because they're not stable enough to prevent tripping and falling. I wear Keen sandals, flexible, fake suede or fabric that is comfy and washable. I'll bet their flipflops are worthwhile. Have worn Tevas, too, and loved them.
posted by theora55 at 9:47 AM on June 1, 2020

The olukai sandals are really nice. The foot bed has nice arch support and is so comfy!
posted by advicepig at 11:39 AM on June 1, 2020

The Teva Olowahu is my favorite, and may meet your criteria!
posted by slateyness at 12:02 PM on June 1, 2020

LL Bean's are good, in my experience. They last for years.
posted by The corpse in the library at 2:35 PM on June 1, 2020