If you've spent any time online this summer, chances are you've seen posts about Archies flip-flops. I definitely have.
Usually, that amount of advertising is enough to make me suspicious, but after hearing people rave about them in the office and spending five hours in flat-as-a-pancake sandals at a gig on Sunday, and suffering for it on Monday, I decided to find out what all the fuss was about.
The story begins with Australian physiotherapist Daniel Jones, who was just 26 when he grew frustrated that patients kept ignoring his advice to stop wearing flat flip-flops.
Rather than telling people to give them up, instead, he spent five years working with podiatrists to redesign them, and he did. Archies launched in 2016 with one simple mission: to create flip-flops and sliders that properly support your feet without looking remotely orthopaedic - even though that's exactly what they are.
Unlike the flat rubber flip-flops and sliders many of us default to every summer (looking at you, Havaianas and Nike), Archies are built around proper arch support. Think of your arches as your feet's natural support system. Give them a helping hand and long days become more fun and easy, rather than increasingly uncomfortable.
Archies are designed to help you if you have plantar fasciitis, fallen arches and heel pain. Plus, thanks to 2.2 cm of orthotic arch support, they also help your whole body stay aligned and absorb shock when walking and standing for a long time - something would have been brilliant at the gig I attended.
Not surprisingly, over the last decade Archies have become a go-to for stylish women who walk everywhere, including Jennifer Aniston and Kylie Minogue, as well as becoming a top seller on Amazon, and earning almost 150,000 five stars reviews.
They work for so many people because the design is pared-back, with a clean silhouette that looks just as good with linen trousers and an oversized shirt as it does with a swimsuit or summer dress.
Available in black, tan and neutral shades, plus fresh pops of orange, sky blue and pink, they're so easy you'll reach for them every morning of summer.
At £35 for flip flops and £40 for sliders they're more expensive than a supermarket pair, but they won't break the bank, your arches or your back. And that's a win.
Sometimes the products that follow you around the internet really are worth paying attention to.
