The Havaianas brand was created in 1962 by São Paulo Alpargatas, a Brazilian company founded in 1907.
Originally, the company specialized in the manufacture of canvas and rope shoes, but it will make a small change with the arrival of its lightweight 100% rubber flip-flop freely inspired by the ancestral Japanese Zori sandals.
The origin of Havaianas, the flip flops for all your summers
At the time, the pair of flip flops was an immediate success with the working classes of the country thanks to its comfortable material and its low price, but also and above all thanks to the properties of rubber: non-slip, does not burn, does not smell and very resistant.
With its two-tone white and blue sole and blue straps, the Havaianas Tradicional flip-flop was instantly recognizable.
But while the brand has been stagnant for ten years in a unique style and production, a twist of fate will change the situation.
Havaianas: A Crazy Evolution
As with many notable inventions, the evolution of the Havaianas brand is a coincidence. Due to a technical problem in the production line, an entire batch of flip-flops came out in green instead of the traditional blue color. What could have led to an industrial disaster will mark the beginning of a new era at Havaianas.
Forced to see the warm reception received by the new color, the brand will start producing the same flip-flop but with straps of different colors (red, yellow, green, and black). This is how the Havaianas will enter the hearts of Brazilians.
With the massive arrival of counterfeits in the 1970s, the brand responded with its “Havaianas, the Original” line, and consolidated its image with hard-hitting advertising and communication campaigns, notably featuring famous names such as the great and very popular Brazilian comic, Chico Anysio. From then on, the brand bet all its commercial strategy on the fashion accessory and will seek to conquer a more affluent class.
Havaianas today
For ten years, the brand has diversified by offering its customers a line of bags or a line of twenty-six closed shoes (espadrilles, ballerinas, boots…), and has regularly collaborated with big names in fashion. for limited editions.
In 2007, she sponsored the Oscars ceremony and produced a personalized and exclusive model for each nominee. The brand opened subsidiaries in the United States and then in Europe the following year, conveying its image of “Brazilian spirit”.
Today, the Havaianas brand is more than 50 years old, is present in more than 60 countries, and produces more than 200 million pairs of flip-flops per year.
