Puma Miami flip flop review

These are fun, come rain or shine!

I don't know why I am writing this review in the first place - I'm sure everybody has at least one, if not four of these sandals. I actually wanted to buy and review all the colors and variants available in this sandal, but after visiting a few Puma stores, I think I was very lucky to get two colors in my size. Every other color and size was sold out, and even the ones I picked were the last of the lot. It would be a monument of an understatement if I said these flip flops were selling well; flying off the shelves would be more like it.

I wanted to order Pizza for lunch today, so I pulled out Domino's Pizza menu online and went through the 'feast pizzas' section since I simply love loads of toppings. When I settled on a medium Pizza, a portion of chicken wings and a bottle of fizz, I added them up on my calculator, and it came pretty much close to 400 Rupees. And that is what I paid for a pair of Puma Miami Thong. While the salt laden, cheese dripping pizza and toxic fizz will be gone in a matter of minutes, these sandals are not going anywhere in a hurry; they should be around for many months, adding a dash of colorful spice to my favorite but rather dull combination of blue jeans and a tee. It is hard to find fault with a pair of flip flops which costs as much as a pizza meal, so I won't even try. I am writing this review on a leisurely Sunday morning, so I'll show you a few nice pictures of these sandals, and try to talk you into buying a pair of these if you haven't already done so.

Miami Thong: With a name inspired by the popular beach resort of Miami, the sandal is going to inspire many brands to come up with wannabe flip flops, if they already haven't done so.

The flips flops you see in the market these days have come a long way from the 'Hawai Chappal' days of old, when the closest thing which passed for a thong was a very rubbery smelling pair of white and blue chappals. Things started to change a few years ago when Converse launched one of the first entry level flip flops which had an uninspiring name: 'Converse EVA Slippers'. They seemed to have a good run with them at INR 299, and somewhat encouraged by the experience, they launched another flip flop called the 'Sunshine Thong'. Good sense somehow prevailed at least in the naming part, and the price seemed right too, at INR 249. But that seemed to be the end of new stuff coming out from the house of Chuck Taylor, and soon other brands like Lotto, Giordano, Speed and Levis came up with their own mish mash of flip flop-esque products. Speedo seemed to have some great flip flops while they were at it, but I haven't seen any fresh stock in the stores recently.

The new prince of affordable flip flops: The Miami adds a zing of freshness to the old flip flop formula, raising the bar for other brands, at least in this price band.

I've said this before and I'll say this again - I really like Puma's approach to creating products. Instead of just making a shoe or a sandal, they'll put in that little bit extra every time so that they stand out in the crowded marketplace. For them, cheap does not mean cheap looking and good examples of that have been the Puma Milano, Puma Vibrant and now the Miami Thong. At INR 399, the Puma competes with the Converse slippers and a couple of Lotto and Levis flip flops. But Puma throws in some nice touches of detail even at that price, which comes across as pleasant value addition. One of the first distinctive features is the molded footbed - unlike the other flip flops in the market (at this price) which have a plain foam footbed, the Miami thong footbed has scores of molded 'Formstripes' (the Puma logo) on it, which looks aesthetically pleasing and also makes the flip flop more comfortable. The molded surface is then accented by square and trapezoidal print details - and if you put the two half pairs together, you will see the printed patterns form 'Puma'. Look at the first picture at the top of this review, and you'll see it quite clearly.

Molded and stamped#1: The Puma Form stripe logo is embossed (molded) throughout the footbed. Apart from lending a cool look to the sandal, it also makes the ride comfortable. Slight bumps under the rear straps could have been avoided, though it does not irritate in any way.

Molded and stamped #2: Close up view of the front. Geometric print patterns are stamped on the molded footbed. One of the synthetic straps extends into the sandal, eliminating the need for a separate component. Smart move, since this reduces ungainly seam bumps.

The upper construction is pretty basic but does its job well. Two contrasting colors of synthetic straps join together to hold the foot and each of them is backed by a thin layer of EVA (Ethyl Vinyl Acetate) foam, which prevents the straps from biting into your foot. And due to the position where the strap goes into the footbed at the front, there is a fair amount of distance from the edge of the flip flop to your toe, which reduces chances of your toe hitting an obstacle while walking. I have worn a few flip flops in which your toe sits almost on the edge of the footbed, and that made the toe part prone to minor injuries. But the Miami thong takes care of that by placing a healthy margin of space (around 27mm) between the front footbed edge and your toes.

Cat on straps: The Puma cat logo sits on the woven label...

The sole cushioning is no frills, provided by two layers of EVA foam sandwiched together. The footbed is a softer density EVA foam, while the base outsole layer is much harder and meant to be more durable. The outsole pattern is very basic, and is nothing more than a series of circular depressions. The grip is not bad, and you are unlikely to slip and fall unless you walk on wet floor, waxed marble or a tile floor with talcum powder scattered all around. I'm sure nobody is daft enough to do any of these things, so the Miami will perform reasonably well under normal circumstances. The Puma branding on the outsole seems to have been an afterthought, because it is barely legible. They could have done slightly better on that front, but I guess I'm being a bit fussy here.

The 'solereview': Nothing much happening in the sole department, except for this flat base with circular debossed textures.

Pass me the microscope: The Puma logo here seems to be an after thought than anything else. If this had not been a Puma sandal, I would have had difficulty deciphering this cryptic logo.

The Puma Miami thong is certainly a great buy. Just think of it, it does not cost more than ordering a Pizza combo or for that matter, driving down to the neighborhood multiplex to watch 'Dark Knight' with your girl. At a price tag of just INR 399, you should be able to afford all the colors the Miami comes in, one for each weekday...

The Lowdown:

Shoe name: Puma Miami Flip Flop (Unisex)

Color reviewed: Orange-Black & Purple-Mauve

Retail price (India): INR 399

Estimated US retail: N.A.

Available at: All Puma stores and many multibrand shoe stores in India

Weight: 106 grams for a half pair of size US 11 / UK 10

Verdict: At Rs.399, the Puma Miami Thong is hard to beat for sheer value. They come in several colors, so it's sure to suit you regardless of your gender or style preference.