As you gear up for sandal season, Shipshib is a brand to know. Currently living on the island of Ibiza with his wife and two daughters, Palestinian-Syrian-Lebanese founder Tariq Fedda launched his shoe brand of Middle Eastern-inspired waterproof sandals in 2015, out of the need for durable flip-flops that resembled his favorite footwear.
Inspired by the leather slippers worn in Damascus, Fedda explained to Style.com/Arabia how he came up with the idea to create his footwear line, “I wanted a waterproof version of the leather slippers to wear to the beach. I used to wear my leather ones but they never lasted because they got wet.” He also added that the rough terrain was an issue that he often faced, “A lot of the beaches in Ibiza are rocky and covered with stones; and from experience, [I knew] flip-flops didn’t work.”
Combing the sturdiness of traditional leather sandals and the ease of beach footwear, Fedda designed his line using advance waterproof materials that improve when exposed to water. “The top part is made from high-quality rubber called TPU [thermoplastic polyurethane]. For the insole, I used a different material: rubber injected with cotton mesh. As the material absorbs water, it grips the feet resulting in a waterproof, heavy duty slipper.”
Apart from a durable structure, Shipshib sandals standout for their traditional aesthetic. Produced in a range of colors, the style is versatile and can be worn for a variety of occasions. Fedda candidly shared, “I’ve worn them to all sorts of places such as Lío, which is a very fancy restaurant and lounge in Ibiza and I’ve wore them to beach parties. They’re also great with jeans, trousers, and a linen shirt at the beach.”
Fedda described that the name of his brand is a play on words derived from the Arabic colloquial word for slipper, Shibshib, which is the shuffling sound slippers make when worn. “I replaced the letter “B” with a “P” because the sandals are waterproof and meant to be worn anywhere—whether at the beach or on a ship.”
