Havaianas were created in Brazil in 1962 and inspired by the Japanese Zori sandal; a sandal with cloth straps and woven rice straw soles. Havaianas replaced the straw with premium Brazilian rubber, updated the design to look fashionable, and the rest is history! This is why the soles of Havaianas feature a rice grain print; one of the many design details that make Havaianas unique.
Our thongs were christened with the name Havaianas (which means “Hawaiians” in Portuguese) in honour of the glamourous holiday destination with endless summer vibes.
1964 By 1964 practically every worker in Brazil wore a pair of Havaianas. Traveling salesmen would sell Havaianas directly from their vintage Volkswagen Combi vans throughout Brazil. The vans were always greeted with excitement!
1966 Havaianas invented the original rubber thong and here’s our proof! In 1966, Havaianas’ parent company, Alpargatas, registered the patent of our now world famous rubber thong!
1969 At first, Havaianas were only available in blue and white. But in 1969, a production error produced a batch of green Havaianas, which ended up hitting the marketplace. The reaction was so positive that Havaianas seized the opportunity and started producing more colours; brown, yellow and black thongs!
1973 People have been trying to copy Havaianas for decades. In the 70’s Havaianas launched an advertising campaign to reinforce the premium benefits of Havaianas thongs. The slogan read ‘Protect yourself from phonies’.
1980 Havaianas was officially recognised as an intrinsic part of Brazilians lives by the Brazilian Government after they were included on a list of fundamental products (alongside rice and beans!) to control inflation. By this point, millions of pairs of Havaianas were being sold each year in Brazil.
Early - Mid 1990's
Did you know that a trend started where people flipped the white soles of their Havi’s upside down to create thongs of a single colour?
After observing this trend, Havaianas introduced single coloured styles and launched their first ever printed style featuring a hibiscus flower.
Many more printed designs continued to be released with new colour ways and new product developments (e.g. baby designs!).
1998 To celebrate the ’98 World Cup Havaianas launched “Havaianas Brazil” – a style with a small Brazilian flag on the strap. Although the Brazilian team lost the Cup, it’s still one of Havaianas best-selling styles globally.
1999 Havaianas transcends into the world of high fashion after making a runway debut in French designer, Jean Paul Gaultier’s show. Havaianas soon after begins working with some of the biggest and greatest brands and designers from around the world.
Havaianas rapidly spreads throughout the world and official distribution begins in Australia, Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, England, USA, Dominican Republic and Japan. Nowadays, Havaianas can be found in more than 100 countries.
Between the threat of the Millennium bug and anxiety for the year 2000, Havaianas created a special model to mark the occasion. It was the first sandal that glowed in the dark.
2001 Havaianas further develops the range by releasing a special collection of thongs with fine details, such as crystals and metal meshes, which are still to this day hand-sewn by artisans in Northeast Brazil.
2006 Enter the Havaianas Slim style! With a thinner and more delicate strap, women everywhere immediately fell in love with this timeless style.
In Australia, Havaianas enters the Guinness World Record Books for the first time for the most amount of people floating in a line. Over 2,000 people gathered on Cottesloe Beach (Western Australia) to claim the record and raise funds for beach-side social projects. We still hold the record to this day!
2011 Havaianas launched a magical new partnership with Disney, featuring everyone’s favourite Disney characters on the sole of thongs.
2012 Havaianas celebrated its 50th birthday! We produced a commemorative limited-edition style with proceeds from sales donated to UNICEF.
2018 In 2018, Havaianas made its runway debut at New York Fashion Week! Following the resurgence in popularity of Havaianas amongst influencers and editors attending fashion shows throughout Europe, luxury Australian designer Dion Lee sent models down his runway in Havaianas as he presented his Spring 19 Collection in Soho.
2019 Havaianas collaborate with French Luxury powerhouse, Saint Laurent, for a limited-edition release of co-branded thongs.
In 2020, Havaianas travels back to its best-selling origins to reinvent the new Tradi Zori, a perfect mix between past and future.
Havaianas collaborates with mastermind JAPAN to create a unique mashup of Brazilian and Japanese influences.
