Last year, Havaianas celebrated its 10th year of flip-flops customization with a splash of aloha, bringing a slice of Hawaii to everyone’s soles.
This year, the brand took its Havaianaticos to Japan to pay tribute to the zori, the Japanese wooden clog that inspired Havaianas.
Each iteration of Make Your Own Havaianas (MYOH) came with a commemorative sole that encapsulated the theme. For 2016’s Japan theme, the brand created a printed sole patterned after shibori, a dyeing technique usually called the Japanese version of tie-dye. The shibori soles were a hit, as its distinct Japanese blue hue paired well with all the strap colors available (red was the popular choice).
The pins for MYOH 2016 were all kawaii in keeping with that unique Japanese melange of cute and kitsch—a Japanese empress with rhinestone hair accessories, a ninja, a sumo wrestler, an intricate bowl of ramen, a mug of frothy beer, a smiling sushi roll, a Japanese fan and, of course, the clog that started it all, the zori.
This year’s event was also held at a new venue at the SM Mega Fashion Hall. As usual, the assemblers of each customized pair of flip-flops were students from different schools in the city. Some of them proudly pointed out that their assembly tools now had a new lever that made attaching the strap to a sole a breeze.
Every year, the Make Your Own Havaianas event gets bigger and bigger. More satellite events also happen in provinces and different parts of the metro to accommodate those who live far from the main venue.
In case you were too busy to check out MYOH last weekend, make sure to follow the brand on Instagram @havaianasphils to see some of the pins, which will move to selected All Flip-Flops branches.
Check out the hashtag #MYOH2016 to see customized pairs, as well as pairs made by your favorite celebs.
