Save The Brazilian Rainforest With Havaianas Flip Flops

I got my very first pair of Havaianas as a birthday present some years back and they are still my favourite and trusty pair of flip flops.  I must say they are a comfy hardy pair.

Yesterday, 3 new Havaianas designs were launched – the new Havaianas IPE designs.  7% of the sales of this collection will be donated to projects that contribute to the preservation of the Brazilian Rainforest, the Amazon and Pantanal.

Havaianas and the Brazailian Ecological Research Institute (IPE) have been in an on-going partnership since 2004 and new designs under the IPE range have been launched every year to help the preservation of Mother Nature.

This year’s collection pays tribute to 3 South American Animals.  Featuring transparent jelly straps and distinctive forest prints, each design beautifully portrays the animal at ease in their natural habitat. Yet, these animals are fighting for survival each day due to the destruction of the forests and are vulnerable to extinction.

1. The Violet Capped Woodnymph

A small hummingbird that is typical of the Brazilian Rainforest.  It feeds on nectar as well as small insects. A quick search on Wikipedia gave the following results about this bird.

It is found in forest (primarily humid), dense woodland, gardens and parks in south-eastern Brazil, eastern Paraguay, Uruguay, and far north-eastern Argentina (primarily Misiones Province). It is widespread and generally common, and therefore considered to be of Least Concern by BirdLife International (and consequently the IUCN). The male is distinctive, being overall green with a blue cap and deeply forked dark blue tail. It is occasionally confused with the Swallow-tailed Hummingbird. The female lacks the blue crown, has entirely greyish-white underparts, and a shorter, white-tipped tail.

2. Sloth

The sloth is a  solitary species that move very slowly on the ground but are very agile on trees and lives in tree crowns.  Sloths are considered to be folivores as the bulk of their diet consists mostly of buds, tender shoots, and leaves, mainly of Cecropia trees. Some two-toed sloths have been documented as eating insects, small reptiles and birds as a small supplement to their diet.

3. Margay

A small spotted feline with great leaping power and ability to walk on trees and shrub branches.

It is a solitary and nocturnal animal that prefers remote sections of the rainforest. Although it was once believed to be vulnerable to extinction, the IUCN now lists it as “Near Threatened”. It roams the rainforests from Mexico to Argentina.

The Margay can weigh about 2 to 9 kg (6.6–20 lbs), have a body length of 45 to 80 cm (18 to 32 in) and a tail length of 33 to 51 cm (13 to 20 in) and  has been observed to hang from branches with only one foot. It is considered to be the true jungle cat, because it spends almost its entire life in trees.

The Havaianas IPÊ Collection, priced at S$39.90 and comes in white, black and light grey,  is available at

h-the all havaianas store at ION Orchard, #B2-42 , Telephone: 6509 9042

Other related sites of Havaianas>>

• Facebook Fan Page
• Fan Blogger
• Havaianas Asia Website

See how Havaianas are produced.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvU7dCOaFqA]

Interesting Facts about Havaianas

• Pronounced as ah-vai-yah-nas
• Created nearly half a century ago in 1962 by Alpargatas, a traditional Brazilian company active in the shoe and clothing industry
• Made to fit the beach-loving, easy-going and confident mindset of a tropical culture of the Brazilians
• Invention of Havaianas was inspired by the customary Japanese Zori sandal, which had a rice straw sole which is seen in the iconic rice pattern found in every pair of Havaianas
• Havaianas made the rubber thong a socially acceptable fashion necessity, transforming the humble flip-flop into an icon
• Havaianas have become one of Brazil’s most successful product
• 5 pairs of Havaianas per second are currently being produced translating to 150 million pairs a year
• Famous people who wear Havaianas:  Queen Silvia of Swede, David Beckham, Christian Lamboutin, Michael Kors, Heidi Klum, Naomi Campbel and Jennifer Aniston
• Moda Pacifica Pte Ltd was founded in mid-2008 is the sole authorized distributor of Havaianas in Singapore and Malaysia.