Flip flops foray fashionably forward.

Blame it on the bosanova, but the Brazilians do know how to make less look like more. Think about how much style can be had from one of those skimpy tongas.

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Then take the flip flop, the feel good cheapie shoe.

Just when you thought that the flip flopped, it gets its own burst of Caipirinha to put it back on the fashion barometer.

When traveling, I first noticed a woman wearing a version of a flip-flop with a slightly Grecian God bent. I became obsessed as to where this summer staple could be had. Lo and behold, the Ipanema flip flop with a strap is from Melissa, one of Brazil’s largest footwear companies and the originator of the jelly shoe. I’m not alone with this obsession, because the Ipanema has been spotted on more than a few fashionistas lately.

But Melissa doesn’t stop there. There’s a slew of colorful jelly shoes that are more than cute for the beach, at night, or as the perfect summer replacement for those quirky rubber rain boots which finally overrode UGGS.

More from Melissa Shoes:

More Melissa…

–June 18, 2004