JillDavis~ It only matters if they are comfortable for YOU. There's no shoe that works for everyone. For me I'd probably break my neck in those (for something with height, I like it strapped on my foot a bit more securely). Also doesn't matter what the company claims. Mephisto, for example, are supposed to be great walking shoes and they are horribly uncomfortable for me.

c1thom - I hope you enjoy them!

I travel business class, have never even seen a Walmart, and also work with university students who would be amazed at the serious nature of the objections to this type of footwear- so guess I am not going to worry too much about my image!

Wow - people do get excited about footwear.

Have a great trip.

I always throw a cheap pair of Walmart flipflops into my YSL handbag. Just in case. You just never know.

bowsprit - it's amazing how good they can feel on tired, weary feet!

I reckon that if flip flops are good enough for the Taliban they are good enough for tourists

wow - sounds like someone's trying to pick a fight.

c1thom: I keep them with me so I can relieve pressure at the start of a blister (foot death for touring). There's less likely to be a blister starting in the winter because socks offer a layer of protection. But in the summer, when feet act funky, I whip out my flip flops, throw my shoes in the big bag and just keep walking.

I wear flip flops as often as I can. When I travel to Europe I try to find dressy ones as they are a little more fashion conscious.

People from beachy communities find it hard to move on to real shoes after life in flip flops.

Flip flops are terrible for those with knee issues. They obviously don't offer any support at all.

I don't wear flip flops on the boat. Very unsafe.

I am one of those who has worn flipflops on every vavation for years. As I get older and wiser, I now realize they are for the beach and kicking around. Not for serious sight-seeing. I have been caught in a rainstorm in the Coba jungle in Mexico,very slippery. In Pompeii, Italy I wished I had sneakers on. The uneaven pavement and cobblestone roads were a deathtrap with flipflops on. I hate having my feet in closed shoes, but twisting your ankle can ruin the rest of your vacation. Having said all that, we will be in France in May, and I will of course pack my flipflops, but I'll be wearing my sneakers.

Wear what you want to. I was in London and Paris last year in April. The weather got hot, and the locals flooded every park wearing shorts, sandals and flip flops and were soaking up the sun>>

yes but the locals aren't walking 5 miles sightseeing in those same flipflops! perhaps if you wear them all day, everyday at home they'll be ok, but mostly people who wear them on holiday don't do that. but by all means pack them - if nothing else, they'll be good in the shower and they don't weigh much.

ds - I'm with you. I wore the same pair of trainers for walking round Rome a couple of weeks ago, and my feet were as happy at the end of the week as they were at the beginning. if it was a late spring/summer trip, I'd have packed some sandals too, but after what they did to my feet in Barcelona last year, I'd not be wearing them for serious sightseeing in the day.

Wow!
Flip flops get alot of attention here and provoke alot of strong reactions. This was not something that came up years ago, BFF (before flip flops)

As much as I personally dislike them the fact is that they are now "acceptable" in many countries. Of course that does not mean they are considered good taste but that is subjective and really not your question. And people who wear them think they look good, even (gasp) cute. Yes I am one of those that thinks they are slovenly looking except on very hot days at the seashore or pool..

If flip flops are comfortable for you by all means take them.

Oh sorry to address you other question:

" What if they were dressy sandals, patent leather or such, that happen to have a thong between the toe?"

Well then they sound more like the dressy sandals you describe not actual FFs. In that case if they are comfy, go for it.

<<yes but the locals aren't walking 5 miles sightseeing in those same flipflops! perhaps if you wear them all day>>

That is the crux of the problem. If you love the shoes then bring them along for short walks to dinner, but bring comfortable walking shoes for sightseeing.

amsdon: Amazing how much attention flip-flops get! and agreed about the strong opinions! Yikes! I decided that since I wear FFs at home, all over, to almost anywhere, I'll take them along, with a pair of closed shoes, in case it's cold. I've worn "dressy" flip-flops (with a kitten heel) to a wedding last summer and received tons of compliments. Amazing how acceptable they've become, and if one has nice feet and painted toenails, they can look lovely - IMO!
Thanks for all the input.

Don't get me started about painted toenails. You have gone too far!

I think that the biggest issue here is the definition of "flip-flop". Are we talking about thin plastic/foam/rubber sandals sold at drug stores? Are we talking about dressy sandals with a heel that have a thong between the toes? Or maybe something in the middle like the leather sandals mentioned with the good cushy sole?

so far as I'm concerned [and probably the rest of the europeans here] a flipflop is indeed one of those plastic/foam jobs sold generally at cheap shops; though there are some more expensive fancy ones, they all share the thong through the toes - that's what makes them a flipflop.

$2 at Wal-Mart. Yes, the Parisians wear them.

Hi there Annhig,

I will add the flip flop traditionally made a noise when you walked. Kind of a flopf flopf flopf flip flop sound.

They are also known as zories or chanclas or chancletas....
Interesting to note the urban use is now also including chancletas as a derogatory adjective meaning cheap...http://www.urbandictionary.com/defin...erm=chancletas