That's why we should not underestimate flip-flops From being the ultimate example of the unsightly and a permanent presence on the runways of Fashion Weeks

More divisive than gull-wing eyebrows or DIY bleaching, more crucial than the Y2K revival, are flip-flops. And, while we were caught up in the onset of various trends, they began to crowd feeds and magazines almost inadvertently. Catwalks included: The Row offered them in leather and suede, Jacquemus and Coperni with wedges, and Dries van Noten even in velvet. Fashion editors look at them suspiciously: can a legacy of the Y2K dark side-there will be a circle of hell for those who paired them with wide sweatpants and fake tans-ever surpass even crocs in ugly coolness? 

Yet, the idea of wearing flip-flops has something radical about it: far from being an understated footwear, it is actually characterized by the extreme choice to put everything on display. Radicalization that, since that year, has materialized into flip-flops with experimental designs promoted by collaborations like Fenty x Puma or brands like Dsquared2. In fact, the rediscovery of flip-flops overlapped with the internal crisis in the streetwear market: after a season of empowerment of sneakers in general, trends began to shift to platform and hybrid models - just look at the recent success of Versace's or Valentino's platform shoes -which have decreed the success of a playful component that can no longer be reduced to trash. Exaggerated volumes paired with tie-and-dye dresses, maxi platforms with crop tops, and a chunky attitude have become the aesthetic cornerstones of an imagery that cannot help but vivisect all the building blocks at the heart of Y2K.