Fashion

7 Flip Flops We've All Owned At One Point

by Emily McClure

Whether you love them or hate them, you've definitely owned them. Over time, you've likely been through all sorts of styles of flip flops en masse. You may not have bought them for their stylish attributes, but flip flops are hiding in the back of everyone's closet. From dorm room showers to outdoor pools, these shoes have solidified themselves in everyone's lifestyle. They aren't always the most fashionable of shoe options, but you can't deny their practicality.

Over the past few decades, flip flop trends have found their way into mass society. From jelly shoes to Rainbow sandals, flip flops have covered almost every trend of our adolescence. What was a middle school dance without large platform flip flops? What was your first year in college with your plastic thong shower shoes? Flip flops have cropped up into our lives over the years and secured their place in fashion isles everywhere.

Why they might have not always been the prettiest pair of shoes in your closet, flip flops have amazed us over the years. They have evolved with the times, and not always for the better. Their practicality has allowed them to stay a niche the world of shoes. Here are some flip flop trends that'll bring back waves of almost-barefoot nostalgia.

1. Old Navy Flip Flops

You have four mismatched pairs in your closet as we speak. These are the quintessential go-to pool flip flops. At two bucks a pop, you could afford to stock up on a pair in every color even when you were living off an allowance — and you did.

2. Jelly Shoes

The '90's were a weird time. We don't have to talk about it.

3. Birkenstocks

Hope you held on to these bad boys from high school, because they're back in full force.

4. Adidas Sandals

Especially popular amongst the JV soccer crowd, but even those of us who preferred to play sports via video game had a pair.

5. Rainbow Sandals

These pricey shoes are what all the cool girls wore back in the day. You can thank Laguna Beach for this trend.

6. Fluffy Slipper Flip Flops

So comfy, yet so ugly!

7. Foam Wedges

These were our ~fancy~ sandals for all of our high school dances. God, we were so cool.

Images: Harriet Beder/Instagram; rumolay, flyboy21,dema, idhren, juicyrai, billselak, spera-designerschuhe/Flickr