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Toronto Sun
02-08-2025
- Climate
- Toronto Sun
Flip-flops are the shoe of the summer. Duh!
Published Aug 02, 2025 • 5 minute read A woman wearing flip-flops walks through heavy rain in Copenhagen, on July 22, 2025. Photo by IDA MARIE ODGAARD/Ritzau Scanpix/ / AFP via Getty Images Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Stylish Americans are making a bold fashion choice this summer: flip-flops. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Wait. Flip-flops, for summer? Isn't that like saying winter is a great time to wear snow boots? To quote Miranda Priestly in 'The Devil Wears Prada': 'Groundbreaking.' And yet the fashion press and social media users alike have anointed the humble flip-flop 'the shoe of the summer.' Substackers such as Max Berlinger, Jalil Johnson and Liv Perez have written paeans to their rubbery, snappy charms. On Instagram, menswear fanatics are having a meltdown over whether to wear pricey designer versions or their dupes. At Men's Fashion Week and Couture Week in Europe earlier this summer, flip flops were seen on show attendees, styled with drapey tailoring and cocktail dresses. Pop star Sabrina Carpenter was celebrated for wearing US$4 Old Navy flip flops instead of The Row's trendy $690 (yes, you read that right) version. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'The big difference, for me – I have been seeing more people wearing flip-flops in the city,' said Lawrence Schlossman, the co-host of the menswear podcast 'Throwing Fits.' 'That is different.' Obviously people have always worn flip-flops by the pool or at the beach, but now they have become a more everyday shoe option. 'People wearing them with jeans to get beers with the homies at Fanelli – that definitely is a new development.' In late July, the Venice Beach-based designer Eli Russell Linnetz released his brand ERL's own take on the high-end flip-flop, in 'Low' ($185), a five-inch platform 'Big' ($375) and an outrageous eight-inch-sole 'Huge' ($1250, available by request only). Within minutes, he said, the flip-flops sold out. He accompanied their release with some of his signature imagery, which is often highly sexualized to the point of hilarious discomfort or lascivious escapism or both. (Linnetz has shot covers for GQ Magazine and directed Kanye West's 'Fade' music video, and is also in preproduction for his first film.) This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Here, there was a female model riding a male model, both nude except for their flip flops, and another nude model posing like a Greek statue (or a Versace model ad from the label's 1990s prime) in the Huge. Before Instagram took down the post of the couple, Linnetz said, it had over 5 million views. 'People loved it or hated it,' he said. ERL, which Linnetz launched in 2020, has long used flip-flops almost as its uniform shoe, styling them with suiting, gym clothes. While he produces many styles of shoe, he produced the flip-flop as a mischievous way to remind consumers that he was the first designer to put his finger on the style as a fashion object. 'It felt like someone was stealing a piece of something that was always a part of who we are,' he said. 'It's like the line from 'Titanic.'' He giggled, recalling a scene between Rose and Jack in the film. 'She was like, I'm in a room screaming at the top of my lungs and no one can hear me. So that's where the big flip-flops came from.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The flip flop frenzy marks a larger turn in fashion: a movement away from the Y2K redux styles that have dominated for several years, and more toward a mall-jock breed of prep. 'If we were to look at the last couple major fashion trends, with how things evolved from normcore to Y2K – the look that had not been mined until recently was like, the Abercrombie, Hollister, Pacsun kind of preppy,' said Schlossman. Shoppers have plundered the archives of the Gap, Hot Topic and 'The next thing, the obvious extension is, 'What is the part of the mall that we haven't hit?'' He points to designers Linnetz, Raimundo Langlois, whose clothes are like a Tina Barney imagining of Abercrombie's controversial early 2000s catalogues, and stylist Marcus Allen of the Society Archive, who often pulls vintage Abercrombie for his photoshoots, for pushing the fashion narrative in this direction over the past few years. Now, larger brands like Jonathan Anderson's Dior, Pharrell's Louis Vuitton and Michael Rider's Celine are adapting that popped collar mentality. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. And the flip-flop, the go-to shoe for bros clad in cargo pants and tight polos, is this style's most accessible product. 'Not everyone wants a huge cargo short. Not everyone wants a tiny cute polo that's going to show off your midriff, or puka shell necklaces or whatever,' said Schlossman. 'But flip-flops, they're always there. We're always on the beach. We're always going to be at the pool. It's going to be hot: Let the dogs breathe.' While Havaianas, which sell for about $30, have been embraced as an affordable fashion it-item in the vein of Adidas Stan Smiths or Birkenstocks, it is the Row's $690 Dune that has been the point of controversy. Is it ridiculous to spend that much on a rubber and grosgrain sandal when there is no label or special design to let the world know what you forked over for it? This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'One side of the argument is like, flip flops are gross, stupid, childish, immature, not sophisticated. You know, who wants to see a man's feet in the street?' said Schlossman, who has a $50 dupe of the Row's style. 'Then I think you have the other side, which is the more consumerist approach to menswear, where it's like, F— it, we ball. There's a sprinkling of that joie de vivre: it's summer, it's fun.' 'The Row exists as this monolithic tasteful thing. You might disagree with the price point,' he continued, but that makes it almost like armor for men. 'The guy who wears the Row, knows that it's the Row, and he's like, I'm good. I know I'm leaving the house feeling good because I have on the Row.' Linnetz's work, while materially similar to The Row in its almost anthropological plundering of California sartorial archetypes, is much more subversive, and therefore more revealing of the psychological underpinnings of flip-flop mania. Perhaps the high school bully – lacrosse captain, homecoming king – is now fashion's muse. 'When I started ERL,' Linnetz said, 'I always was like, I don't care if it's ugly, I want to do something uncomfortable. I want to do stuff even that I hate. Just to challenge myself and expand my way of thinking. It was odd to me that people would say, 'Why don't you just make things you like?' My process was: I just want to make things that are uncomfortable for myself.' Or comfortable for your feet. Toronto Blue Jays Toronto & GTA Columnists Toronto & GTA Canada
The Star
28-07-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Cycling-Wiebes wins chaotic sprint in Tour de France Femmes stage three as Vos reclaims yellow
FILE PHOTO: Cycling - UCI Track Cycling World Championships - Ballerup Super Arena, Ballerup, Denmark - October 16, 2024 Netherlands' Lorena Wiebes in action during the women's scratch race Thomas Traasdahl/Ritzau Scanpix via REUTERS/File Photo (Reuters) -Lorena Wiebes prevailed in a chaotic sprint to claim victory in the third stage of the Tour de France Femmes on Monday, edging fellow Dutch rider Marianne Vos who took the overall lead after a 163.5km ride from La Gacilly to Angers. Sprint specialist Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime), who narrowly lost stage two to Mavi Garcia, made an explosive push for the finish as a crash in the final four kilometres temporarily took out several riders including 2023 champion Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez). Opening stage winner Vos (Visma–Lease a Bike) lost a photo-finish to Wiebes but reclaimed the yellow jersey from Kim Le Court Pienaar (AG Insurance-Soudal), who led the general classification after Sunday's second stage but dropped to second with a six-second deficit. "It was very hectic... I think when we went right on to the river there was a big crash behind me. I hope everyone is well," Vos said. The stage, mostly on a flat terrain, began without Giro d'Italia winner Elisa Longo Borghini, who withdrew from the race due to a stomach infection. Four riders made an early attack to form the leading pack, with Alison Jackson (EF Education-Oatly) winning a mountain sprint to the top of Cote de La Richardiere. But others slowly caught up, with Lotte Kopecky expertly leading her teammate Wiebes to the front, setting up the final sprint just before the crash derailed a number of riders behind them. New Zealand's Ally Wollaston (FDJ-Suez) finished third as her teammate Vollering, who recovered from the crash, remained in contention in the general classification, sitting 19 seconds behind Vos. The Tour continues on Tuesday with stage four, a 130.7km ride from Saumur to Poitiers through another mostly-flat terrain. (Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in BengaluruEditing by Christian Radnedge)
Scotsman
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Scotsman
Denmark's 'Folkemødet' shows how to use people-power to restore faith in Scottish politics
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... There is some dispute whether the former German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck said 'Laws are like sausages, it is best not to see them being made.' Regardless of who made the comment, there is much truth in it. Legislating and decision-making can be complex. Democratic politics is a messy business given the vast array of stakeholders, opinions and interests that should be accounted for. Too often in our political discourse, commentators and others see simple solutions. That is rarely the case, as 21st-century statesman Barack Obama reflected after leaving the White House: 'One of the first things I discovered as President of the United States was that no decision that landed on my desk had an easy, tidy answer.' In other words, if the answer was easy, it would never have reached the Oval Office. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The sausage-making process is an important one. Democracies tend to be better at decision-making because they are more complex and consider a wider range of freely expressed views. No politician or political party in a democratic system is ever entirely right or entirely wrong. The process of debate and discussion is an integral part of eventually getting to better decisions, like any theory it isn't entirely foolproof but also helps break us free from our individual silos. The Folkemødet is a free event held over three days when the public, politicians and a few international visitors meet, talk and listen to one another in a relaxed, informal environment (Picture: Ida Marie Odgaard) | Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Ima We are all politicians In a world with increased polarisation and misinformation, too often because we disagree with someone on one issue, we think that person must be wrong on every issue. If you don't believe me, have a look at the comment pages in this and other media sources. Having the widest possible stakeholder engagement results in greater ownership of a decision and hopefully better decisions. That is one of the reasons democracies are overall better at making decisions and improving citizens' lives. In a democracy everyone is a politician – like it or not, you are too dear reader, and the actions of citizens have meaningful consequences. The act of not voting, for example, is itself a political act, even unconsciously, that could have profound implications. An omission is not without consequence. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad That is why citizen engagement is important, alongside quality discussion and debate. Greater citizen participation means decisions are made that are more reflective of the society that our politics is due to serve. Successful democracies understand that, not least our next-door neighbours in Denmark. Just a couple of weeks ago, I was invited to see one aspect of Danish democracy in action. At the end of the parliamentary term, Denmark's politicians, journalists, businesses, NGOs, universities, and others involved in the political 'bubble' and tens of thousands of ordinary citizens decamp to a Danish island, Bornholm for an annual Folkemødet, or people's meeting. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Danish politician Margrethe Vestager attends a Folkemoedet on the island of Bornholm (Picture: Nils Meilvang) | AFP via Getty Images Battleship discussion about security Over three days Danes, and a small number of international visitors, meet, talk and listen to one another in a relaxed and informal environment. Crucially the events are free and there is no bar to attending – except if a contribution breaks the criminal code or an act runs contrary to the Danish constitution. Over a short 24-hour visit, I was able to witness a debate about sustainability in a tent (most meetings are under canvas) led by young people, a discussion on a docked battleship over Denmark's security priorities with a former Nato Secretary-General and a talk about Georgia and the path to its EU accession, including a discussion about what that meant for Denmark. Our neighbours have, of course, just taken over the influential presidency of the EU, and citizens were clearly taking those responsibilities seriously. Meetings were respectful, well attended with citizens and senior politicians wandering around enjoying the discussion, sunshine and perhaps the odd Danish beer. What for me was most striking was just how many young people attended, and participated. The age range was a wide one with Danish young people, many camping in fields around the festival, well represented. An Edinburgh fringe festival environment but focused on politics. Politics matters, really matters. The success of Nordic states in recent times in reducing inequality, boosting income and increasing the rights of their citizens is in part due to the success of their democratic model. The Folkemødet was a fantastic illustration of improving engagement and bringing down barriers. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Danger of polarisation It is fine to disagree, if we all agreed with one another the world would be a dull place leading to worse policy outcomes. However, if we don't manage to disagree more agreeably it can also lead to greater polarisation and lead to people feeling the political process is not for them. It was also great news for Bornholm's local businesses, extending the short tourist season on the island for an additional week. Since the first Bornholm event in 2010, copying a similar event in Sweden, the Folkemødet has grown, now attracting attracting 110,000 attendees over three days. It is an industry in its own right on the island, employing a dozen full-time staff including a native of Skye enthusiastic about bringing the idea back home. Holding a Folkemødet-style event here in Scotland would not be a panacea, leading to better politics overnight, but given the damaging threats of polarisation, lower turnouts and misinformation, it is worth considering. Like the Nordic states, Scotland has a relatively small political and stakeholder base. We also have plenty of islands, and other areas, outside the Central Belt, that could easily host such an event. Away from the cameras, Scotland's politicians will often discuss ideas in a more open manner that is discouraged by a gotcha culture in some parts of the media. Nuance and constructive discussion is difficult but crucial when there are no easy solutions to the challenging problems we all face. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Just think what we could achieve if only we could bring people together in a slightly more constructive manner. Like the Danes we might benefit from the sunshine too.
The Star
06-07-2025
- Business
- The Star
Pick up trash, get free stuff – Copenhagen's summer offer
Copenhagen has taken a new method in use to reduce the amount of thrash in the Copenhagen Canals: the environmental kayak (Miljoekajakken). — Photo: PETER HAUERBACH/ Ritzau Scanpix via AFP Mexican tourist Rocio Gomez spent an hour boating on Copenhagen's canals free of charge in exchange for picking up trash in the water, part of a city programme for rewarding eco-friendly tourists. During her tour on an electric motorboat, which normally costs around $95 an hour, Rocio collected trash in the Copenhagen port. "You're doing something helpful and you're also having a good time," she told AFP. The 34-year-old who works in sustainable development said she planned to take advantage of other similar deals offered in Copenhagen during her visit. From mid-June until late August, the CopenPay initiative offers around 100 activities in exchange for free or reduced prices on a selection of experiences. For example, participants can get a coffee, pastry or concert ticket in exchange for an hour of picking up trash; a rebate on a restaurant dinner if they do some gardening; or a free guided tour for those who stay in the city longer than three days. "We saw that four out of five people actually want to do good, but only one does it. So we wanted to see how we could bridge that gap and inspire more people to do good," said Rikke Holm Petersen, head of communications at the Wonderful Copenhagen tourism board. The initiative was tested on a smaller scale last year, when 75,000 people took part. This year, Wonderful Copenhagen expects at least twice as many. The number of companies and institutions taking part, and getting no financial gain in return, has increased four-fold. The campaign targets tourists but applies to anyone who wants to participate. At the motorboat rental company GoBoat, as at many other places, the offer is limited. "Around 60 people can come every Tuesday and Thursday morning" after signing up on a CopenPay website, said GoBoat's Isabel Smith. A marine biologist, Smith is in charge of analysing the trash hauled by CopenPay users, averaging two kilos per boat, most of which is plastic. "I measure the plastic by width and length, then identify the type of plastic," she said. "This will contribute to our current understanding of the role of the harbour and plastic pollution." Spread abroad? The programme has proven popular with tourists. "When you are travelling to different places, you want to experience different things. And I found that this is pretty amazing," Gomez said. "At the beginning, it was pretty clean -- extremely clean -- but then we found certain corners that were pretty dirty." "And then we started to pick up all the trash from the corners with bamboo nets." Also in her boat was Marta Reschiglian, an Italian student visiting Copenhagen with a group of friends on an Erasmus university exchange programme. "Since we are students and we are sometimes on a really tight budget, it's so nice to be able to do these things, to combine a bit of a sustainable, friendly behaviour and also a way to get things for free," Reschiglian said. "Lots of cities should start to adopt these kinds of initiatives," she added. "We are seeing all over the world that there are so many problems with mass tourism." The project could spread to other cities outside Denmark. "We've been sharing insights with 100 destinations all over the world," said Petersen at Wonderful Copenhagen. In the Danish capital, the initiative could become permanent in the future, with a winter programme as well. Around four million tourists visit Copenhagen each year, the majority in summer. cbw/ef/po/js
New York Post
01-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Man accused of gathering information on Jews in Berlin for Iran arrested in Denmark, officials say
BERLIN — A man suspected of gathering information on Jewish locations and individuals in Berlin for Iranian intelligence, possibly with a view to carrying out attacks, has been arrested in Denmark, German prosecutors said Tuesday. The Danish national, identified only as Ali S. in line with German privacy rules, was arrested on Thursday in the Danish city of Aarhus, federal prosecutors said in a statement. 4 The Iranian flag flies in front of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Berlin. AP 4 Protestors participate in a demonstration in support of Palestinians in Brabrand outside Aarhus, Denmark, October 13, 2023. Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images The man was tasked by an Iranian intelligence service early this year with gathering information on 'Jewish localities and specific Jewish individuals' in Berlin, prosecutors said. They didn't elaborate. He spied on three properties in June, 'presumably in preparation of further intelligence activities in Germany, possibly including terrorist attacks on Jewish targets,' prosecutors said. German Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig said 'if this suspicion is confirmed, we are dealing with an outrageous operation,' adding in a statement that 'the protection of Jewish life has the highest priority for the German government.' German security authorities stepped up protection for Jewish and Israeli facilities after a 12-day war broke out between Israel and Iran in June. The suspect is accused of working for an intelligence service of a foreign power. The information leading to his arrest came from Germany's domestic intelligence service, prosecutors said. 4 German security authorities stepped up protection for Jewish and Israeli facilities after a 12-day war broke out between Israel and Iran in June. Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images 4 A young girl plays hide and seek in the concrete steles of the Holocaust memorial in Berlin. AFP via Getty Images He will be brought before a judge in Germany to determine whether he is kept in custody pending formal charges after extradition from Denmark. It was not immediately clear when that will happen. Germany is a staunch ally of Israel and has a long history of tense relations with Tehran, though it has been one of the three leading European powers trying to engage Iran in diplomacy over its nuclear program. In October, Germany ordered the closure of all three Iranian Consulates in the country in response to the Iranian judiciary's announcement of the execution of Iranian German prisoner Jamshid Sharmahd, who lived in the United States and was kidnapped in Dubai in 2020 by Iranian security forces. That left the Islamic Republic with only its embassy in Berlin.
