Where there was once just a mythical shrine to everyone's favourite 'flops (sorry Ipanema, but it's true) in the shopping lunacy of Saara, finally the Havaiana Store is flourishing, done up like a tropical beach and crammed with the bright, light footwear. No fewer than 40 stores are spread all over the city and its surrounds, from Copacabana to São Gonçalo and in almost every major shopping mall imagineable. And while it may not be quite up there with customised Nike Air Max, most also offer the opportunity to pimp your flops with some bright and garish jewels, and the designers have definitely upped their game a notch, from limited edition, mis-matched colours to the glow-in-the-dark skulls and a host of newer, sportier and chunkier varieties (from R$39).

The simplest chinelas (R$19) in one or two colours are still the most popular, but the thick, soft beach towels (R$49) and range of trainers (R$89) are always worth a look, even if finding the right size in stock can be a battle of wills. Check out, too, the range of iPad and iPhone covers, using the same unmistakable rubber designs to good effect.