KEY POINTS:
We gave everyday holiday items a road test with a typical family - and got a little expert advice too.
Our Voting Panel - The Hancocks of Whenuapai
The Verdicts
Cheapest: Ice Cream Jandals, JK Kids Gear ($12.95)
"We bought these for the girls - they chose them themselves - and they said they were comfortable and cute. They seem to wear well and they're good quality."
Best Value: JK Kids Gear
Others: Superman boys jandals, the Warehouse ($14.80)
"Rory is fussy with shoes, he rarely wears any if he has the choice, but he seems to like these jandals. Maybe it's because of the superhero design."
Havaianas men's jandals ($35)
"Trendy, comfortable jandals with lots of varieties of colours and designs to choose from. Seem to be really hard wearing with thicker, softer rubber than other cheaper jandals."
Expert Tip
Flip flop, thongs, Jandals - whatever the name, New Zealanders love them. They keep feet cool on hot days and, with many selling for less than $20 a pair, can be a good deal. But buyers beware, even the simplest of shoes have their pitfalls.
Podiatry NZ president Wayne Tucker says the thickness of the toe piece is key.
"If that gets too thick, it can cause blistering," said Mr Tucker. "If it's too thin, if it's not in contact with the skin area to a large degree, that can cause the Jandal to slip around and become more of a danger than anything."
Mr Tucker is not a fan of flip flops, however, and advocates the use of more supportive sandals or, at the beach, aqua shoes instead.
"They actually cause the muscles in the feet to work harder to try to keep the Jandal on the foot," he says. "They offer little protection and cause more work."
