Freedom according to Havaianas

Before becoming synonymous with freedom and style, Havaianas crossed two continents and an ocean, going from a niche product sold in plastic bags to a status symbol with a summer and colorful aesthetic. Born in Brazil in the early 1960s, the Havaianas find inspiration from the Zori, the traditional Japanese sandal whose soles were made using rice straw. With the birth of the green version, born ironically due to a production error, the success of the Havaianas exploded further in Brazil, obviously giving rise to numerous attempts at imitation such as to lead the manufacturer first to register the patent of the model and then that of the shape of the flip flops.

From there the road to the brand was only downhill and while Brazil was now a prisoner of Havaianas-mania (in 1980 the government put them in the basket used to monitor inflation) it was only a matter of time before that object so colorful arrived in the rest of the world. That moment was the 1998 World Cup, a magical event that the company decided to honor with a couple of special Havaianas, the Brasil. Think about it, how many times have you seen a couple of Havaianas with a small flag of Brazil? Although the green-gold national team failed to win the cup, the success for the brand was enormous. After the success of the World Cup, the company continued to increase its fame with a series of noteworthy collections and initiatives that contributed to its success also in Europe and the United States: exploiting the anxiety for the infamous Millenium Bug in 2000 created a special edition that glowed in the dark, while in 2003 he took advantage of the Oscar rush by giving away a pair of Havaianas to all nominees. A few years later, in 2007, Havaianas opened its first store in New York, while the following year it was the turn of offices in several European countries, including Italy.

But despite the brand's rapid and inexorable climb to success, its real secret was its ability to transport the magic of Brazil around the world, making an object that is in many ways unique in its kind universal. Havaianas is in fact a lifestyle, a hymn to joy and light-heartedness expressed through the colors that have always characterized the Brazilian company's products. A trend, that of informality in footwear, that Havaianas anticipated by years, becoming an example for the explosion of the clogs, the mules and more recently the slides. A way of understanding footwear outside the box, informal but not inferior to its more classic counterpart. A life metaphor capable of expressing freedom through a simple gesture: freeing your feet. For this reason, on June 21st Havaianas decided to set up its first world party, the Free Feet Day, an opportunity to celebrate the return to partial freedom after almost a year of living at home by calling together influencers, companies and ordinary people at the cry of "Free your feet". In Milan the day will be celebrated with an event at Milano City Life, a day to celebrate the beginning of summer and a moment of collective freedom. Registrations are open, don't miss the perfect opportunity to give your feet some freedom.