Sandals of all shapes and sizes have, for centuries, been considered the simplest solution to the problem of how to cover the foot and they were the first example of protection for feet. The simplicity of their form makes them ideal for countries with hot climates and for this reason they are part of the culture in Mediterranean and some Asian countries. Removing your shoes and putting on sandals before going in to the house is a Japanese custom which indicates respect and humility.

Everything points to the Zori, a Japanese sandal, as the inspiration for the creation on 14 June, 1962, of the Havaiana sandal. But the Brazilian version had a plus point which made all the difference; it was made of a natural and 100% local material, rubber, which guaranteed that the sandals were both long-wearing and comfortable. The idea for the new sandal was so simple that its fame spread like wild-fire. In less than a year São Paulo Alpargartas was making more than a thousand pairs of sandals per day - and selling them all. This gave rise to imitations. At least the competition tried....but they did not bargain for the quality of the "real thing", the only sandals which "do not lose their shape, have no smell and on which the straps do not break".

Both pretty and a pleasure to wear the Havaianas sandal became a cult object. The person who does not have at least one pair - no matter what colour - is just not with it; these sandals are a must in the wardrobe or suitcase of any fashion-conscious person.

A good pair of Havaiana sandals looks good in the city, on the beach or at the pool, blends well with the blue of the sea and sky but is also equal to the demands of the hard life. On a march of the Land Reform Movement on Brasilia thousands of men, women and children crossed the country wearing what on their feet? Havaiana sandals. At the other extreme, socialites, artists and the President of the Republic, famous feet all (and some not so famous) can be seen wearing their gaily-coloured Havaianas. It is, without doubt, the most democratic sandal known to man because in the words of the writer Jorge Amado, himself the wearer of jeans and Havaianas, they "grace the feet of both the poor and rich alike".

These sandals are the face (or should it be, the feet! ) of at least three generations of Brazilians. They survived the hippie movement, strode through the 70's, 80's and 90's and are in fine form today, thank you very much! In fact, ever aware of what is going on, they have been involved in every popular trend and have changed in accordance with the dictates of fashion. In 1994 they gained a new design - the single-coloured Top Havaianas, a clear reference to their position in the market, since they were more expensive than the traditional sandal. VIP's and the media were the first to receive the new sandals - handed to them personally. It was fantastic. The fashion columns of newspapers and magazines were unanimous: Top Havaiana sandals were causing a revolution both in fashion and in the market. They became an icon; an object of desire, an obligatory fashion accessory. They became synonymous with sandals.

The Havaiana case-study has attracted attention from all quarters and has been the theme of masters degrees and work in schools and universities. It was their simple and intelligent design which earned them a place as one Brazil's exhibits on the Craft and Design: a Continuous Process stand at Expo-98 in Lisbon and a prominent position in the Design and Materials exhibition held in São Paulo at the end of 1997.

Segmenting its market São Paulo Alpargatas created a model for every foot and every taste: the Original, the Havaiana Brasil, launched during the '98 World Cup, the Surfer, the Fashion, the Crystal Fashion, the Kids, the Club, the Floral, the Alamonana, the Millennium and others which will soon be launched.

In the Havaianas factory in Campina Grande, Paraiba, 5 pairs of sandals per second are produced, which add up to 105 million pairs per year. Since their launch 2.2 billion pairs of Havaiana sandals have been produced and sold (if all the size 37 sandals were laid end to end they would go around the world 50 times). Today we know that two out of every three Brazilians get through one pair of Havaianas on average per year.

The quality of the product, the marketing strategy and the advertising campaign, based on the real statements of famous people who wear Havaianas - a tried and tested tradition of São Paulo Alpargatas for many years - have given life to the traditional sandal, although it really needs no great introduction. The first person to advertise the product was Chico Anysio; he was involved for many years. In the 90's he returned to star in one of the launch ads. for Top Havaianas where he announced that "this is an old love of mine". There was such a close link between the artist and the product that there was a time when people thought he was the owner of the company. Chico Anysio left and Thereza Collor, elected the muse of the North-east of Brazil in a survey conducted by São Paulo Alpargatas, took over the starring role. "Everybody wears Havaianas" was the tag-line of the advertising campaign which went on the air soon after with the actor Luis Fernando Guimarães who used to catch stars such as Vera Fischer, Malu Mader, Bebeto and Mauricio Mattar wearing their Havaiana sandals.