Flip Flops Brand Spotlight

Think beyond the ordinary flip-flop. That’s been the mission of Lila and Jeremy Stewart, a husband-and-wife team who co-founded Hari Mari. 

The Dallas-based flip-flop company has used new materials and designs to turn the popular beach and poolside sandal into a more comfortable and higher-end footwear option. And they’ve tried do some good, too. 

They collect and recycle old flip-flops of any brand and donate 1 percent of every purchase to Flops Fighting Cancer, which goes to Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth.

Before starting Hari Mari in 2012, the couple lived for three years in Jakarta, Indonesia. Lila worked with children living in orphanages, and Jeremy produced a documentary on malnutrition. 

When they returned to Dallas, where they both grew up, they didn’t know what to do next. When shopping for flip-flops and discovering bland inventory, they found an idea — creating a new and improved flip-flop. The startup’s name comes from Hari, which means “of the sun” in Indonesian, and Mari, which means “of the sea” in Latin.

Hari Mari flip-flops, which range from $45 to $75, are sold in stores across the country, including Whole Earth Provision Co., Saint Bernard and Omni Hotels and Resorts. Gap and Nordstrom recently started selling the flip-flops, and next month, they will debut at REI, the nationwide outdoor and fitness retailer.