There’s perhaps no summer shoe more divisive than the humble flip-flop. With labels as disparate as The Row and Stussy helping to make the stripped-down sandals cool again, the age-old debate of where it’s appropriate to actually wear flip-flops has come roaring back into the cultural conversation. Should they be restricted solely to the beach and pool? Or is it OK to sport them out and about on the sidewalk, even in less-than-pristine metropolises like New York? I’ve personally shared my opinion on the matter. Bradley Cooper has weighed in too, in a manner of speaking. Now Jonathan Bailey has entered the chat, donning his flip-flops on…gasp…the red carpet.
This weekend, the Wicked star graced the London premiere of his new film, Jurassic World: Rebirth, alongside his costars Mahershala Ali, Scarlett Johannsen, and Rupert Friend. With a scruffy beard and handsomely tousled hair, he flopped up to the stage in a relaxed,, wide-neck charcoal sweater tucked into a loose pair of black jeans, which gently pooled over his flip-flops. The entire getup—save for his incredibly cool Oakley Plantaris shades—was from The Row.
While Bailey looked completely at ease with his dogs out on the red carpet, his look fanned the flames of the still-raging debate. “The context, to me, is what doesn’t work,” my colleague Eileen Cartter argued. “He would look good if he was, like, getting a bagel at Layla.”
And yet, Bailey’s bold move wasn’t entirely without precedent. Jennifer Lawrence famously ditched her heels for flip-flops on the iconic Cannes steps in 2023, and the surf-ready sandals have popped up at similarly fancy occasions on guys like Game of Thrones’s Iain Glen over the years. Would it have given less people the ick if they’d been more refined leather sandals, like Matty Matheson’s fisherman joints (albeit worn with socks) or Iggy Pop’s strappy bedazzled numbers?
For my money, Bailey’s flip-flops were a calculated—and, frankly, supremely chic—risk. Unlike folks like Adam Sandler, who openly defy dress code conventions with glee, Bailey’s casual ensemble still felt sophisticated and worthy of the spotlight. He looked like a surfer-turned-architect whose beachside home is filled with rare punk records and Corbusier furniture.
Might this be a watershed moment for the detested open-toed sandal? A record year for bare toes at summer blockbuster premieres? Will legions of men now feel emboldened to let their dogs out en masse? Strap in, folks—we’re about to find out.
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