While navigating the busy halls of BHS after summer break, you may have noticed a slight change in the style of many students. Flip-flops line the hallways in a way they haven’t in years past. Class of ‘26, in particular, has traded their Adidas for flip-flops. In terms of back-to-school style, athleisure is out; simple and straightforward summer comfort is in.
At first glance, the revelation that flip-flops are popular for school shouldn’t come as much of a shock. They’re summer shoes, and it’s still hot outside. But it’s deeper than that. People are obsessed. Outside of BHS, flip-flops are not trending nearly as much. It’s something about this school, or rather, this student body specifically. So, I decided to interview some of flip-flops’ most dedicated supporters.
I conducted my interviews on a Friday, because of the now-banned Instagram account: “@flop_friday”. During the time of my interviews, this account had just surfaced, igniting BHS students to wear their best pair of flip-flops on Fridays.
When asked why they decided to create @flop_friday, Alexandra Rao ’26 and Miles Love ’26 had a lot to say. Rao started, “It was mainly to encourage people to wear flip-flops not just on Fridays, but all days of the week.” Love continued, “[It was] to start a tradition at Boulder High, and to keep the flip-flop movement going. I think [flip-flops] reflect the Boulder culture of being outside and exploring nature.” Both of them were sporting their favorite flops when they spoke with me.
When asked why flip-flops are becoming popular at BHS, Asher Jacobson ‘26, said, “It’s nice to let your feet soak in the air, you know? It’s an expression of your free will.”
Matilda Smith ‘28, not a fan of flip-flops, said, “I genuinely would never wear flip-flops myself.” When prompted on why she wouldn’t wear flip-flops, Matilda stated, “I’m scared to not wear socks to school.”
A flip-flop superfan, Rowan Lombillo ‘26, said, “People are definitely trend-following, but I’m a big believer in getting the toes out and grounding yourself. Our shoes today constrain our feet. Our toe-boxes are being narrowed by society’s image of what fashionable shoes should look like, and flip-flops allow you to return to a more natural arch and a more natural foot posture.”
Rhett Reasons, ‘27, said, “They’re fly. Looks good with pants and shorts, they’re just fly.” Reasons continued to reflect, “I remember when it first started taking off, you’d get some comments if you were wearing flip-flops; like, ‘Why do you have your toes out at this party right now? Why did you do that?”
Most die-hard floppers are part of the class of ‘26. This year’s seniors grew up during an era when mocking people who showed their bare feet in public was the norm. Visible toes were jokingly referred to as “dogs being let out,” a phrase rooted in the rise of people selling foot photos online. Public displays of feet were criticized, associating them inappropriately and framing them as uncomfortable or gross.
When asked about why our student body may have held off from flip-flops in the past, Alden Kellogg ‘26, stated, “I think about five years ago there was a cultural shift where everyone was thinking having your feet out was gross, but now it’s spinning around the other way.”
In the interviews I conducted, I asked each person if open-toed shoes were allowed at their middle schools. Love said, “No, they weren’t. They only allowed closed-toed shoes.” Toby Schoenfeld ‘26 replied, “I mean, it was unclear. No one really tried to push the boundaries.”
After concluding the interviews, there is a definite correlation between seniors and flip-flops. Whether that’s due to the suppression of flip flops and open-toed shoes in middle school, Gen Z’s foot-hating trend, or just an expression of Boulder culture, flip flops are 100% trending. We can embrace the change, and walk into this year with our best foot forward; flip-flops or not.
