Havaianas review: sizing, fit and Slim vs regular models

Havaianas are worth buying, and the single thing to get right before you order is the size, because Havaianas are sold in Brazilian paired sizes that sit about two numbers below the European equivalent. I wore a pair all day around Barcelona with an injured heel and got no blisters, which is the test that changed my mind about them.

I don’t know if this is the case worldwide, but everywhere I travel and where it’s at least a bit sunny, I see someone wearing Havaianas flip flops. The flip flop comes in many different colors and patterns, but they are all recognizable by the textured rice pattern on the footbed. That pattern refers to the Japanese zori sandals, made with fabric straps and rice straw soles, that the brand was modeled on.

A Havaianas review: my first experience wearing Havaianas flip flops

My first experience wearing Havaianas flip flops went badly, and it was entirely a sizing mistake. I purchased my first pair during my very first trip to Barcelona when I was 18 and let loose by my parents. I’d only brought sneakers on that trip and, as it was the middle of summer, I soon had sweaty feet.

The thing is that at 18 I still thought my feet were two sizes bigger than they actually are (don’t ask), so I bought my Havaianas too big. I wore them a lot that vacation, but once I realized I needed shoes two sizes smaller, my pair disappeared to the back of the closet.

My second pair of Havaianas flip flops

My second pair of Havaianas flip flops came from the brand itself, years later, and gave the flip flops the fair test the first pair never got. As some things happen at exactly the right moment, I received an email from Havaianas asking if I’d be interested in reviewing their footwear, two months before a second trip to Barcelona.

I asked for the right size this time, a European 37. What arrived was a 37/38, because Havaianas are not sold in single sizes. Would I be flipping around in thongs, as they call them in Australia, that were too big again? I’d have to wait until it was time to test them to find out.

Saved by the flip flops

The flip flops saved the trip because my sneakers wrecked my heel. I always check the weather before I leave, and as the forecast promised both rain and sun for Barcelona, I played it safe and packed the Havaianas, some sneakers and a rain jacket.

It’s a good thing I did, because drops frequently fell out of the sky while we were there and one day it just didn’t stop raining. That forced me into my sneakers a lot, and then my heel started hurting. I didn’t get a blister, but the shoe kept pushing into my heel with every step until it had turned blue and swollen.

I think it got a bit infected on the inside. I really couldn’t wear those shoes anymore, so I turned to the flip flops and hoped it would stay dry the next day. It did. It wasn’t warm, but I couldn’t have been happier that I’d brought them.

I was a bit afraid they wouldn’t give enough support to walk around all day. They did. It’s not the same as wearing sneakers or a walking shoe, but the sole is fairly thick and the rubber gives a natural bounce, so your knees are taken care of. The size turned out fine, and although I was worried the flip flops would be too wide (I have very slim feet), the width was right.

The verdict: are Havaianas good flip flops?

Havaianas are good flip flops for travel, for the beach and for a day of city walking in a pinch, though they are not a substitute for a walking shoe. I can only conclude this Havaianas review on a positive note, and I think everyone should have a pair. They’re easy to slip on at the beach, hanging around outside, or to quickly run an errand.

I’m sure there are better things to wear on your feet all day, but if you’re asking me whether Havaianas are comfortable, then yes. Wearing a pair all day in Barcelona gave me no blisters at all.

Other benefits are practical. They take up almost no space in your carry-on, they rinse off under a tap, and they dry in minutes, which makes them good travel flip flops. I also think they look elegant enough, and in a basic color you can wear them with just about anything. The plain model is the one to start with, so if you are buying your first pair, get the Havaianas Top flip flops in black or another neutral and add the fancier models later.

Alternative models: Havaianas Freedom sandal review

The Havaianas Freedom sandal is the model to buy if you want one pair that works for both the beach and dinner, because it adds an adjustable ankle strap to the same rubber sole. I usually pack flip flops for warm-weather walking and then also pack dressier sandals for evenings, and the Freedom removes the second pair.

The Freedom is still made, though the version on sale now is the Freedom Glamour rather than the plain Freedom I was sent. It is comfortable, waterproof and good-looking, and it comes in several colors. I went wild and chose silver, when I usually go for combine-me-with-everything black.

So, how did I like them? When I first got these, I have to admit I was a little worried. They looked good, but they came in the same paired sizes as the flip flops: 35/36, 37/38, 39/40 and so on. I got a 37/38 for my 37-sized feet and had quite some space left at the back of the sandal. My main concern was that they would slip off while walking.

What I liked

What I liked most was the ankle strap, because it kept the sandals on my feet the whole time despite the extra room at the back. Havaianas Freedom sandals have fully adjustable ankle straps. There are no holes and no pin like on most sandals: you double the long strap, pull it through two little loops, and it stays fixed.

That wouldn’t work well in leather or fabric. It works here because these Havaianas with a back strap are made from the same rubber as the regular flip flops, so the strap grips itself and stays put.

The sole was the second thing I liked. Just like on my Havaianas flip flops, it sits a bit higher at the back than at the front, which gives extra support and comfort, and the cushioning is good.

Their look mattered to me as well. These are sandals you can wear straight to the beach, they’re easy to take off and put back on, and because they’re entirely rubber you rinse them under water and they’re as good as new. At the same time, the fine straps make them fine for dinner. I wore them under a dress one night and thought they looked really good.

What I liked less

What I liked less was the paired sizing, not the sandal itself. Although the double size didn’t bother me in wear, the Freedoms would have looked more elegant if they’d simply been a 37.

Havaianas sandals review: final verdict

The Freedom is the better buy of the two for travel, and I say that as someone who expected to prefer the plain flip flop. The ankle strap gives just that little bit of extra support when walking around, which makes the Freedom more comfortable over a full day.

If you want to try the back-strap version yourself, the Havaianas Freedom sandals are the ones with the doubled-strap fastening described above.

Havaianas questions answered

The four questions people ask most about Havaianas cover sizing, the Slim model, loose straps and broken straps, and each is answered below.

1. Do Havaianas run big or small, and how should Havaianas fit?

Havaianas run large if you order by your European size, because the numbers on the label are Brazilian. Havaianas sizing is Brazilian, sold in pairs, and a Brazilian pair sits roughly two numbers below the European one: the Havaianas 35/36 is a European 37/38, and the Havaianas 37/38 is a European 39/40. That single fact explains most of the “they arrived too big” complaints, mine included.

The paired sizing is the second thing to know. Flip flop models are not sold in single sizes the way the espadrilles are, so there is no 37 on its own, only a 35/36 or a 37/38.

Here is how the common pairs line up:

In fit terms, you want the straps sitting neatly around your foot so you don’t lose the flip flop while walking, and you do not want your heel hanging off the back. If you fall between two pairs, go for the larger one rather than the smaller, because a foot sticking out at the back of the sole is worse than a little spare room at the front. It also depends on the model, so read the fit comments on the listing for the exact model you are buying.

2. What is the difference between Havaianas Slim and regular?

The difference between Havaianas Slim and regular is the strap width, not the shoe width. There are no specific Havaianas wide-fit or slim-fit models, although the names suggest otherwise. The Slim is not a narrower version of the classic flip flop: the “slim” refers to the straps, which are thinner than the ones on the standard Top.

The sole is the second difference. The Slim’s rubber sole is shaped a little more elegantly, which does make the model slightly narrower overall, but not enough to call it a shoe designed for narrow feet. If you like the thinner strap, the Havaianas Slim sandals come in the same paired sizes as the Top.

3. How to make flip flops fit tighter?

To make flip flops fit tighter, work on the strap rather than the sole, using the three fixes below in order of how well they hold.

1. Shorten the toe post. Turn the flip flop over, pull the plug through from underneath, and re-seat it so less strap sits above the sole.
2. Pad the footbed. A thin self-adhesive foam or gel insert raises your foot slightly, which takes up the slack under the straps.
3. Add a heel grip. A stick-on heel pad stops your foot sliding backwards, which is what makes a loose flip flop flap.

None of that rescues a pair that is genuinely a size too long, where your heel overhangs the sole. Exchange those rather than trying to fix them, because the overhang is what causes the tripping and the strap tearing.

4. How to fix Havaianas slippers

To fix Havaianas slippers whose straps have popped out of the sole, wedge something flat and wide under the strap plug so it cannot pull back through. I’ve never had it happen to mine, but if you wear a pair out completely and the straps start pulling free, slide something a little wider than the hole between the sole and the bottom of the strap.

Good things to try are a bread clip, a paperclip, a safety pin, a bobby pin, or simply a flat piece of plastic or card.

Get your own Havaianas

And that’s it. I hope this Havaianas flip flops review gave you a better idea of whether these flip flops are for you. Order by the Brazilian size on the label rather than your European one, and start with the plain Top if you are not sure which model you want.

For the closed-toe version of the same brand, there is this Havaianas espadrilles review, which does come in single sizes. There is also this list of my travel gear and these other travel gear reviews if you are putting a packing list together.

Pin for later

Havaianas offered me these flip flops and sandals to review. What I think of them is based on wearing them.

WonderfulWanderings Pro Tips

The 3 tips below come from buying the wrong size at 18, wearing both models around Barcelona, and re-checking in 2026 what Amazon US actually stocks.

1. Read the size in an Amazon listing title as a US pair. The same Havaianas 37/38 shows up as “Black, 7-8” on one listing and “Black, 7/8” on another, and both are the identical shoe. The strap carries the Brazilian number, the listing title carries the US one, and mixing the two is how people end up with a pair that is two numbers too long.
2. Look for the word Glamour before you order a Freedom. Amazon US lists exactly one women’s Freedom, the Freedom Glamour, rather than the plain Freedom I was sent to review. The doubled-strap fastening and the rubber sole are the same on both, so what I wrote about the fit still holds.
3. Pack them as your injury shoe, not only as your beach shoe. A sneaker rubbed my heel blue and swollen on a wet day in Barcelona, and the flip flop was the one thing I could still put on, because nothing on it touches the back of the foot. I walked the whole of my last day in them and got no blisters.

About the author. This guide is written and maintained by the Wonderful Wanderings editorial team. Wonderful Wanderings was founded in 2012 by Sofie Couwenbergh, and the first-hand notes in this post come from wearing Havaianas flip flops and Freedom sandals on two trips to Barcelona. The team covers travel gear for independent travellers, including the shoes, packing kit and jackets worth buying, and updates this page when models, sizes and prices change.