COPENHAGEN — The beach has officially breached the runway. In one of the most delightfully juxtaposed moments of the spring 2027 season, Havaianas — the Brazilian house of the humble rubber flip-flop — unveiled a kitten-heeled iteration of its signature sandal on the Studio Constance runway during Copenhagen Fashion Week.

The debut marks a striking metamorphosis for a silhouette long synonymous with boardwalks and poolside lounging, repositioning the utilitarian thong sandal as a bona fide object of high fashion.

Anatomy of a Heeled Icon

The new Havaianas Kitten Heel reinterprets the brand’s signature toe-post construction with a distinctive toe cap that conceals only the big toe, perched atop a low, asymmetric, elliptical heel measuring roughly two inches. Grounded by the label’s signature rubber insole, the silhouette arrives in black, off-white, and a vibrant green — a palette that walked across all 25 looks of the Studio Constance spring 2027 presentation, interspersed with the house’s classic flip-flop styles.

“The Kitten Heel represents a new design perspective for Havaianas, while remaining true to the ease, authenticity, and Brazilian spirit that have always defined the brand,” said Maria Fernanda Albuquerque, global vice president of marketing at Havaianas.

From Catwalk to Cobblestone

The heeled flip-flop’s influence spilled well beyond the catwalk. Style luminaries Emili Sindlev and Livia Nunes were photographed wearing the silhouette on Copenhagen’s streets throughout the week, cementing its status as the season’s most ubiquitous conversation piece. The moment arrives as thong sandals — from animal-print stilettos to Havaianas’ own flat classics — have become a recurring fixation of Copenhagen’s street-style ecosystem ever since the brand’s flip-flops first went viral here in August 2024.

For an industry that thrives on the tension between the demure and the daring, a two-inch rubber heel may prove the season’s most subversive statement yet: proof that even the most casual object in your wardrobe can be dressed for the front row.

The Debut, As It Broke

Havaianas' New Kitten Heel Gives Its Famous Flip-flop a Runway Makeover. wwd.com

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Further reading: Read the full runway debut report at WWD.