EDGE Boston

PêcheBlu is off to a quick start in the multi-billion dollar flip-flop market with a sports worthy version of the perennial favorite. Focusing on technology, fashion, design and comfort, PêcheBlu (pronounced pesh-blue; it’s French for blue peach) has introduced a line of fashionable sports flip-flops with rugged athletic shoe bases and the comfort of flip-flop straps.

New and Different

What’s new and different about PêcheBlu is that the company used their knowledge from sports shoe design of the past 10 years to create a flip-flop that performs like a precision sports shoe.

Working with shoe designer Madeleine Apanian- whose creations for Tod’s and New Balance are sold all over the world- founder and CEO Stephen Cohodes set out to create a flip-flop that reflected how people actually wore them. "We wanted to cushion feet like a sports shoe as people walked city streets, stood in line, or strolled the beach," said Ms. Apanian, "but provide the freedom and comfort of a flip-flop."

PêcheBlu flip-flops have an advanced, patent pending hard rubber Z-FLEX lug design to provide stability and comfort that moves with the musculature of the foot. Only the "Z" touches the ground. The tough outside shell reduces abrasion and is non-slip and non-marking. The footbed is soft antibacterial phylon rubber to cushion and support the foot. The design uses an arch support and heel well with a beautiful grooved pattern to provide an anti-slip surface. The shoes also have a subtle rounded wall to protect toes from sliding off the edge.

PêcheBlu also added padding to the strap between the toes so that it adjusts to the space between the big toe and second digit, minimizing the friction that is typical of traditional flip-flops. Nubuck uppers elegantly match the colors of the rubber and phylon bases.

Added Mr. Cohodes, "While there are numerous flip-flop brands, few, if any, focused specifically on sports flip-flops. We tried to make ours as perfect as humanly possible. Our focus groups tell us we succeeded."