They used to be confined to the beach, wet market, hawker centres and neighbourhood stores.
Now, flip-flops, or slippers, are turning up almost everywhere, be it an upmarket mall in town, a posh restaurant or the theatre.
The ever-growing popularity of the rubber footwear is largely due to Havaianas, which made their debut in Singapore in 2003.
Originating from Brazil, these designer flip-flops are a fashion must-have, especially among the young.
A pair from NewUrbanMale.com, which has the local distribution rights, can cost between $26.90 and $49.90.
Flip-flop fans speak up
LifeStyle stakes out several places, from town to the heartlands, and speaks to flip-flop wearers.
Mr Zeng Xian Hong (above), 25, NUS graduate, seen at Raffles City Starbucks wearing $15 Reef.
'It depends on where you are. In the business district, you look too casual. They are fashionable, though - everyone's wearing them. I have been to a pub wearing flip-flops and I wasn't turned away.'
Ms Jolyn Ong, 20, baker, seen at Marine Parade central wearing $49.90 Havaianas
'Whether flip-flops are fashionable depends on what you're wearing. I make an effort not to wear flip-flops to town. I wear them only if I'm going somewhere near my home.'
Ms Jessica See (left), 21, student, seen at Wheelock Place, wearing $40 Havaianas
'Flip-flops are fine because it's so hot here. I've worn mine everywhere, even to clubs such as Zouk and Ministry of Sound.'
Ms Lianne Ngoi (right), 20, student, seen at Wheelock Place, wearing $100 MaxMara flip-flops
'I wear flip-flops because it's really hot in Singapore. I've worn them to restaurants and hotels here and in London, but in London, they might kick you out.'
Ms Tan Li Jia, 24, student, seen at Citylink Mall wearing Havaianas.
'Wearing neat flip-flops from Crocs or Havaianas is okay, but wearing cheap Ah Beng slippers is too sloppy for Orchard Road.
'There are double standards. It's okay for females to wear cheap slippers, they are seen as casual. But guys who wear them are seen as careless.
'It's okay to wear flip-flops if my top is presentable, but I don't think it's fashionable, just comfortable.'
Victoria McColl, 18, student, spotted at Drama Centre in National Library wearing flip-flops she bought from Bangkok.
'It's not really acceptable but I wore them here because they are comfortable. I don't really care if they are fashionable.'
Fans swear by the brand's 'butter-soft' feel but its appeal lies mostly in the cool factor generated by celebrities seen in a pair, from David Beckham to Jennifer Aniston to Sting.
But designer or not, slippers are slippers and fashion stylists say you are committing a social faux pas if you wear them indiscriminately.
'People who wear rubber flip-flops everywhere should be shot,' declares fashion show producer Daniel Boey.
Wearing a pair of flip-flops to Orchard Road is as out of place as donning a suit at the beach, he adds.
'Singaporeans are plain lazy and saying that our weather is hot is just too convenient an excuse,' he says.
Agreeing, stylist Vik Lim says he is 'very shocked' whenever he spots undergraduates wearing slippers on campus.
'Dressing correctly has to be cultivated, and most parents here probably don't teach their children that you have to dress appropriately as a mark of respect for yourself and others.'
Love them or hate them, flip-flops are flying off the shelves. Footwear retailer Bata says annual sales figures have been growing by 20 per cent for the past few years.
When LifeStyle scoured the streets last week - from Orchard Road to Clarke Quay to the Esplanade - it found that the majority of those spotted wearing flip-flops were teens and those in their 20s.
Student Han Jin, 20, sums up the sentiments of most flip-flop fans when she says: 'They are really comfortable and they are fashionable.'
She adds that she has been to restaurants and clubs in her cult Havaianas without being turned away.
Hotels and F&B outlets do not impose a blanket ban on flip-flops, with many of the more casual eateries allowing - but not encouraging - flip-flops.
However, fine dining restaurants such as Shangri-La's BLU, Tung Lok Group's My Humble House and Club Chinois, Les Amis Group's Les Amis and Au Jardin, as well as restaurateur Michel Lu's Prive, all draw the line when it comes to flip-flops.
'People need to understand it's not how much their flip-flops cost, it's just inappropriate for some scenarios,' says Mr Lu.
He adds that on the rare occasions when guests turn up in flip-flops, they would be transferred to the gastrobar or the cafe, which are more casual than the main dining area.
Over at Les Amis and Au Jardin, the restaurants have some shoes for guests to change into.
'If the shoes do not fit, we will get a taxi to send the guest back to change. In the meantime, we promise the guest that we will keep the table for them until he returns,' says its corporate communications manager Raymond Lim.
While some may argue that it is disrespectful to wear slippers to attend a class or a performance, establishments such as Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Management University (SMU) and the Esplanade say they do not have a dress code.
Says an Esplanade spokesman: 'We want it to be an arts centre for everyone, so we let people come in whatever attire they are comfortable with.'
Associate Professor Low Aik Meng, Dean of Students at SMU, says that SMU treats its students as young adults and grants them freedom in their choice of dressing.
'As sensible thinking adults, we expect them to observe decorum in what they wear to classes,' he says, adding that most SMU students know how to dress for the occasion.
Finally, a piece of advice for flip-flop fans from Mr Boey: 'If you have to wear them, please make sure your toes are properly pedicured and not look as if you've just trudged barefoot in an Afghan desert.'
This article was first published in The Straits Times on June 15, 2008.
