Havaianas (stylized as havaianas) is a Brazilian brand of
flip-flop sandals created and patented in 1962. It is currently owned by Brazilian manufacturing company
Alpargatas S.A.
Alpargatas S.A. is one of the largest Brazilian manufacturing company in the footwears and canvass business.
Its main product is ''Havaianas'', one of the largest Brazilian brands of rubber flip-flops, since 1962.
History
It was founded in ...
Inspired by Japanese
zori
Zori (), also rendered as zōri ( ja, , ), are thonged Japanese sandals made of rice straw, cloth, lacquered wood, leather, rubber, or—most commonly and informally—synthetic materials. They are a slip-on descendant of the tied-on sandal.
...
sandals, Robert Fraser became the first to mass-produce flip-flops out of rubber.
The name Havaianas is derived from the feminine form of the Portuguese word for "Hawaiians", and the pattern on the soles of the sandals is designed to resemble the straw soles of zori. Originally, all Havaianas featured white insoles with colored outsoles and straps. Because of their simplicity and low price, the sandals became rapidly popular with Brazil's lowest social classes.
However, now their popularity is generalized and the brand controls 80% of the Brazilian rubber slippers market: in fact, of every three Brazilians, two on average consume a pair of "Havaianas" per year.
A fashion trend starting in the 1990s involved inverting the sole to make the coloured outsole face upwards, creating the appearance of a monochrome sandal. In response, Havaianas released a new line of eight one-colour sandals called Havaianas Top in 1994. Citizens of higher social classes then began to wear Havaianas.
In 1998, with the impending
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament ha ...
in France, Havaianas introduced a line of flip-flops featuring a small
Brazilian flag
The national flag of Brazil ( pt, bandeira do Brasil), is a blue disc depicting a starry sky (which includes the Southern Cross) spanned by a curved band inscribed with the national motto "''Ordem e Progresso''" ("Order and Progress"), within a ...
on the strap to show support of the
Brazilian team.
According to Havaianas's Twitter account, the brand "embodies Brazil's fun, vibrant & spontaneous way of life."
[How a Brazilian flip-flop took over the world](_blank)
Baker, Vicky. Published 16 July 2017. Havaianas flip-flops are the most popular in the world, with 200 million pairs being sold every year.
They are often found in surf wear retail and surf apparel stores.
Global expansion
Beginning
In the 1960s, the flip-flop was a practical shoe worn by the
working-class
The working class (or labouring class) comprises those engaged in manual-labour occupations or industrial work, who are remunerated via waged or salaried contracts. Working-class occupations (see also " Designation of workers by collar colou ...
and was only made in a blue-and-white design. It became so associated with the poorer sector of society that it was listed as one of the fundamental goods by the
Brazilian government
The politics of Brazil take place in a framework of a federal presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. The political and administrative o ...
, along with other household products. Traveling
merchant
A merchant is a person who trades in commodities produced by other people, especially one who trades with foreign countries. Historically, a merchant is anyone who is involved in business or trade. Merchants have operated for as long as indust ...
s sold them from the back of their vans. Variations in color and design are claimed to have all started serendipitously in 1969 when one batch of flip-flops came out to be green and suddenly gained popularity.
Marketing techniques
Havaianas officially became a global brand in 2000, despite other brands imitating its style. To branch out to the global market, several
marketing strategies
Marketing strategy allows organizations to focus limited resources on best opportunities to increase sales and achieve a competitive advantage in the market.
Strategic marketing emerged in the 1970s/80s as a distinct field of study, further buil ...
were employed. Angela Hirata, the director of foreign trade for Alpargatas S.A. has explained that Havaianas was marketed to both the low-end market and the high-end market for all classes to purchase the shoe. The sandal can be purchased for US$6 to $40 in
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
, but in the United States, the sandal can range at a more
inflated price from US$11 to US$75.
![Havaianasbrasil](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/Havaianasbrasil.jpg)
The hallmark of Havaianas's success is innovation. Creative styles with various colors were manufactured in addition to closed-toed sandals for customers who live in cooler climates. Sandals with embellishments, like
Swarovski crystals were also integrated in the new styles to be used for fashion shows and to be worn by models on runways. Another necessity was to invest greatly in sales and advertising of the shoes. Today, more advertising is seen online, but colorful print advertisements were utilized to attract consumers to Havaianas. Several rival brands have also served as a hindrance, such as
Crocs
Crocs, Inc. (stylized in all lowercase) is an American footwear company based in Broomfield, Colorado, that manufactures and markets the Crocs brand of foam clogs.
History
Crocs was founded by Lyndon "Duke" Hanson, and George Boedecker Jr. to ...
,
Rip Curl
Rip Curl is a designer, manufacturer, and retailer of Surfing#Equipment, surfing sportswear (also known as ''boardwear'') and accompanying products, and a major athletic sponsor. Rip Curl has become one of the largest surfing companies in Aust ...
and Quicksilver. To combat these companies, Havaianas attracted new markets. The brand has also responded and remains flexible to changes in the market and consumers' preferences. For example, a drop in sales were noticed when Havaianas were being manufactured outside of Brazil and consequently, a decision was made to build another plant within Brazil. In total, the company has maintained popularity domestically and internationally with the aforementioned marketing strategies. Total revenue from Havaianas has been reported by Alpargatas S.A. to have increased from US$1.7bn in 2008 to US$2.6bn in 2011.
[How Havaianas Built A Global Brand](_blank)
Turpin, Dominique. Published 2 September 2013.
In 2017 it was announced that they would be sponsoring the
Sahara Force India
Force India Formula One Team Limited, commonly known as Force India and later Sahara Force India, was a Formula One racing team and constructor based in Silverstone, United Kingdom, with an Indian licence. The team was formed in October 200 ...
Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
team.
Brand identity and extension
Brand identity
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create a ...
also contributes to Havaianas's global outreach. The company has leveraged Brazil's positive identity to build a successful brand. As a result, advertisements for Havaianas and the shoes themselves are colorful and simple. The product's most well-known ''slogan'' is ''"The Legitimate Ones"'' since, due to its success, many other companies have launched similar products to compete with Havaianas.
Entire shops devoted to the brand exist internationally and the shoes are sold in over 80 countries, including those who experience varying climates. Brand extension has been utilized as an effective way to mitigate this seasonality. The brand has extended to include
towel
A towel is a piece of absorbent cloth or paper used for drying or wiping a surface. Towels draw moisture through direct contact.
In households, several types of towels are used, such as hand towels, bath towels, and kitchen towels.
Paper towels ...
s,
sunglasses
Sunglasses or sun glasses (informally called shades or sunnies; more names below) are a form of protective eyewear designed primarily to prevent bright sunlight and high-energy visible light from damaging or discomforting the eyes. They can s ...
, and
espadrille
Espadrilles (Spanish: ''alpargatas or esparteñas''; Catalan: ''espardenyes''; Basque: ''espartinak'') are casual, rope-soled, flat but sometimes high-heeled shoes. They usually have a canvas or cotton fabric upper and a flexible sole made ...
s. In most recent years, several ranges have been launched, such as a flat range, a sunglasses range, and a clothing collection. The usage of these techniques has reached people from all classes and from different areas across the globe. Millions of people wear Havaianas, whether it be in the form of flip-flops, apparel, or accessories.
The present
The brand is highly successful and Havaianas are worn by customers around the world. However, Alpargatas S.A., Havaianas's manufacturing company, was previously owned by
J&F Investments. Alleged discussions of bribery took place and has hurt
J&F Investments economically. As of July 2017, Alpargatas is owned by three Brazilian companies, Itaúsa, Cambuhy Investimentos and Brasil Warrant.
References
External links
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Shoe brands
Brazilian brands
Clothing companies of Brazil
Clothing companies established in 1962
Eyewear brands of Brazil
1962 establishments in Brazil