Are ‘perversely sexy’ flip-flops the final frontier of the ugly shoe trend?

The preferred shoe of the communal shower, the pool and the nail salon is finding a toehold on catwalks and the high street – but wearing them comes at a cost

They are typically worn around public swimming pools in the hope of avoiding a verruca. Or slipped on post-pedicure. Now, flip-flops are moving beyond communal showers and nail salons.

Along with rattling ice cubes in glasses of rosé, this summer’s soundtrack is gearing up to be peppered with the distinctive noise of flip-flops slapping pavements. Libby Jane Page, executive director of Vogue Shopping, describes the footwear style as having “endless appeal” hailing them a “summer staple”.