Three individual flip-flops on display at DSW, a red one with yellow lemon design, plain black one, and a plain brown one. Above each is a sign with the price: $37.99. Photo by Mary Warner, June 18, 2026.
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$40 Flip-Flops – Are You Kidding Me?

by Mary

I was shopping for new tennis shoes last week, when I was stopped cold at the price of flip-flops.

Three individual flip-flops on display at DSW, a red one with yellow lemon design, plain black one, and a plain brown one. Above each is a sign with the price: $37.99. Photo by Mary Warner, June 18, 2026.
Three individual flip-flops on display at DSW, a red one with yellow lemon design, plain black one, and a plain brown one. Above each is a sign with the price: $37.99. Photo by Mary Warner, June 18, 2026.

 

Are you kidding me? It’s now around $40 to purchase a skimpy pair of flip-flops?!? Not so many years ago, these plain slabs of plastic with chintzy plastic foot holder poked through the sole in three places were no more than $2 to $3 for a pair. These were considered cheap, throw-away beach or shower shoes.

Not that we should have ever bought into the notion that simple shoes ought to be fast, throw-away fashion.

But, still … $40? With inflation, I figured they’d be no more than $5 to $10 now.

What caused the huge price increase?

Did they become a highly desirable fashion statement when I wasn’t looking? Did someone famous start wearing them or were they featured by a TikTok influencer, and shoe manufacturers decided to capitalize (literally) on their sudden popularity?

SMH.

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