Every spring, I bought flip-flops. After a while, they squished down, and my back would start to hurt.  I asked myself, why are there not good quality sandles on the market?  Well, I asked around and got good comments on Reef sandles, so I took the plunge, spent the extra money, and I am so happy now.  I'm embarrassed to say that I weigh close to 400 pounds. Long story, etc... but, after 4 months of use, these Reef sandles look like new!  I expect to get at least 2 years out of them.  Hey, spend $5 on flip flops and throw them out in September.  Or buy quality and enjoy them for years.  The bottle opener has come in handy too!