The anatomy of a Common Soles Flip Flop

We don't just make any flip-flop at Common Soles. We make good ones. Flip-flops that will hold up to the daily abuse you expect all your footwear to withstand. Harsh abuses such as walking the dog, making homemade iced-tea, and slipping on to air out the feet apres mountain biking. Yes, we realize these are not the most extreme of conditions for footwear, but they may be your reality - they certainly are ours....

So how does a company looking to sell sandals to generate funds for those in need actually pull off making a decent sandal! We turned to the experts for help, specifically John Kitman who's been designing footwear and flip-flops for over 15 years as a freelancer to some of the biggets brands in the world. He told us we needed to focus on a few critical components when designing our first flops. Here they are in no particular order:


Toe Strap: This is an often overlooked element of a flop. The little piece of webbing that is the critical anchor for the main-straps. This little bit of webbing must be soft enough to be comfortable between the toes, yet firm and strong enough to hold up to wear and tear. Key is how the webbing is cemented in between the footbed and sole of the flop in order to keep the crease toward the wearer and the strap edges facing out - key for comfort! High quality glue is used as well as a tack-stitch to hold them in place. Jimmy Buffett won't be referencing a Common Soles sandal as ever being "blown out".

Top Strap Stiching: Make it neat, make it strong, keep it simple. Done.

Main Strap Top: Here is an opportunity to explore our artistic side. How can we possibly come up with the perfect design for our first flop?? The stress is killing us..... Seriously, length and width of strap are ciritical here. For width we are shooting for around 1" for men's and half that for women's. Length - still working on that one.

Main Strap Bottom: This is an important one. This area is in contact with the top of the foot and must be comfortable and durable. An antimicrobial finish is important as is getting the texture right so it allows for the perfect balance of easy on and off while remaining affixed to the foot while walking. Anchoring them in the sole is done similarly to the Toe Strap. Cemented, then stitched in place.

Footbed: Quality EVA foam. A standard in the footwear industry. We use foam that is soft so it's comfy, yet firm enough to prevent over pronation of the foot.

Sole: Molded with consideration given to maintaining traction as well as remaining lightweight. We'll be experimenting with several sole patterns and materials so please do share with us your favorites.

We're having fun with this,
Dave