Chanel Flip Flops

Did Coco Chanel have Chanel flip flops in mind when she created her iconic women's sportswear collection, or do the casual, beachy shoes designed by her fashion house have her rolling over in her strands of pearls?

Actually, some of the Chanel shoes described as flip flops are far from it. Chanel makes a beautiful sandal; although it's described as a flip flop, it is in fact a dressy shoe. The Chanel sandals are beautiful, stylish shoes with a sculpted heel, a toe ring and a double C logo made from black jet beads.

Other Chanel flip flops are indeed flip flops, however. It seems like a casual, beach style shoe has nothing to do with the couture collection known for pearls, classic tailored suits and spectator pumps. However, Coco Chanel did transform the way a woman dressed. After the restrictive dressing in the early 1900s, she gave women freedom with casual menswear inspired clothes, boyfriend sweaters, cloche hats and jersey fabrics. So it only makes sense that Chanel would bring style to a shoe once only found in disposable styles at drug stores. The fashion house is known for cutting edge designs and casual chic.

In recent years flip flops have become more than a beach shoe. Today they are worn with dresses to lunch and even with suits to the office. Some say the trend is driven by a challenging economy which has people longing for comfort: comfort food, comfort clothes, etc. Others say Hollywood celebrities are driving the trend. Nicole Ritchie and Gwyneth Paltrow have both been spotted in designer thong shoes.

Chanel makes a white braided flip flop. The shoes sell for approximately $400. They also make a collection of fun colored shoes that look like the old rubber jelly shoes. The shoes have a little rose on top and retail for approximately $270. The designer also makes a cute and casual flowered pair. Chanel's summer shoes are usually released in the winter as part of the resort collection and in the spring as part of the summer collection. The best time to find sales on flip flops is early fall.

Chanel is not the only design house making flip flops. Burberry, Pucci, Gucci, Helmut Lang, Christian Dior, Michael Kors and Sigerson Morrison have all designed pairs.

If designer flip flops are too rich for your taste but you still want to embrace this footwear trend, you can shop at Dini's Los Angeles. This site sells colorful and sparkly flip flops for approximately $50. Old Navy carries fun and cheap flip flops every summer.

Designer flip flops are the perfect accessory to complete a summer outfit of oversized designer sunglasses, big It Bags and flowy dresses. These shoes are not the old beach thongs of years ago. They are stylish, trendy and full of variety. The slip-on shoe has come a long way since red, white and blue Dr. Scholl's of the 1970s.

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