I was never a flip-flop guy. I chose instead to don strapped sandals—flip-flops seemed too… unstable.
But, in the last three of four years, I’ve converted. I love flip-flops. I’m the guy you see at every department store or sporting goods store mulling over the cheap flip-flops hanging on the impulse-buy display racks, trying to decide if I need yet another $8 pair of cheap foam flip-flops that will, without a doubt, fail in a matter of mere weeks. Sure, I’ve found a few bargains that turn my crank, but—and I’m sure most of you get this—generally speaking, you get what you pay for.
So call me a pessimist when the latest offering in slightly more pricey flip-flops from Chaco showed up on my doorstep. The Waypoint Cloud flips were greeted with a smirk.
“Seriously?” I asked myself. “These things cost $70?”
Then I pulled them from the box.
The first thing I noticed about these flips is their substance. They’re heavy. They’re thick. Sturdy. These aren’t the cheesy, bright orange things you grab on your way out the door at the dollar store. No way.
Like any new pair of flip-flops, you have to wear them a bit to get a feel for them. They take some time to break in a bit. Once you get a feel for them, you’ll realize the value in good flips. First, it’s understood that they’ll last a while. These aren’t “disposable.” You can realistically expect a long life from them. They feel that good.
But that’s not all. Be reassured by the fact that these things are backed up by Chaco’s lifetime warranty that essentially protects you if the product fails. It kind of takes the sting out of that price tag.
Remember, you get what you pay for.
— Chris Hunt