Jonathan Bailey brought The Row’s most controversial sandal Stateside this week. On Wednesday, the “Jurassic World: Rebirth” star was spotted in Los Angeles wearing ERL flip-flops. The “Wicked” actor sparked an uproar earlier this summer after wearing The Row’s Dune flip-flops on a red carpet.
For this look, the actor paired the sandals with loose, paint-flecked jeans and a white graphic T-shirt, keeping the look casual with wire sunglasses and a red notebook tucked under his arm. He wore ERL’s Black low flip flop, which retail for $185, and feature a one inch sole made with suede straps and molded Eva rubber and foam, and rubber ERL logo on strap. The flip-flops’ flat footbed owes more to the pool deck than the premiere circuit. Stars like Kylie Jenner have also been spotted wearing the thong sandals from the brand this summer.
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Bailey first set the tone for this conversation in June, when he appeared at the London photo call for “Jurassic World: Rebirth” in a full The Row look punctuated by the high-end flip-flops. At the time, the choice was a jolt to menswear’s red carpet script — a deliberate move away from Oxfords and loafers toward exposed toes and “quiet luxury” minimalism. That moment vaulted The Row’s flip-flops to the top of Lyst’s second-quarter hottest products list and made Bailey the face of the trend’s mainstream breakthrough.
Since then, the flip-flop has become a flashpoint in fashion. While women’s styling has long played with casual shoes in formal settings, men’s adoption of the form has been met with sharper division. Stars like Bradley Cooper and Chris Pine have leaned into the silhouette, while Dwyane Wade dismissed the style entirely, citing coverage and comfort.
The conversation has also widened beyond celebrity styling. Videos from Copenhagen Fashion Week that framed Havaianas as a “new” chic accessory drew criticism from Brazilian creators, who accused European influencers of gentrifying a national staple. “It is ironic, and even a bit comical, to see how fashion repeats its patterns,” influencer Julie Carolina de Castro told FN in July.
For brands, though, the economic appeal is clear. Flip-flops are among the lowest-cost forms in footwear, but in calfskin or logo-stamped rubber, they command luxury margins. As broader luxury growth slows, the category has become a reliable entry-level accessory — a point not lost on The Row, Brunello Cucinelli and Dolce & Gabbana, all of whom have reimagined the silhouette.
Bailey’s latest outing suggests this won’t be a one-off experiment. Whether embraced as quiet rebellion or derided as overpriced basics, flip-flops have become the summer’s most unavoidable shoe — and Bailey is its unlikely standard-bearer.