And the times in between then are pretty much non-existent; the only time I ever wear them is when I’m at the beach. I just feel like they’re pretty uncomfortable to wear in daily life, and I’m also not one to really show off my feet…call me old-fashioned, but I feel like those are one of those body parts meant to be covered up at all times. Feet just can’t be attractive no matter how you look at them or dress them up.Can I be honest with you guys? I had never worn a pair of flip-flops before I met my wife. In fact, I didn’t even wear a pair until after we were married. I’m pretty sure it would have been the summer of 2010, which was the first time I accompanied her (and her family) to the beach. And if that timeline is correct, that means I would have been the ripe old age of…26. That’s right, dear readers, I had never owned, or wore, a pair of sandals until I was 26 years old.

I don’t even remember what sandals I bought that first year, but for the last few trips, I had a basic pair of black ones that I’m pretty sure I got from Dollar Tree. Those lasted three or four beach trips, but finally succumbed due to the equivalent of “natural causes” this last time, when a few too many run-ins with mud and rainwater basically ripped the “thong” part right off. I was able to fix them a couple times before the damage was so extensive that they couldn’t be repaired…leaving me without a pair of sandals at the beach! Talk about an emergency!

So we went to [drumroll please] Walmart to find another pair. I’ve gotten a few shoes from Walmart – and have been mostly underwhelmed with the quality – but imagine my surprise when all I saw were more expensive buckle, slide, and “tunnel” sandals…not what I was looking for at all. I was about to just give up and start wearing socks and shoes everywhere, when my eyes stumbled on what I was looking for. Actually, my eyes stumbled on something that was even better than what I was originally looking for: a clearance bin of George-brand sandals, that were half off. What was their or

This is a basic sandal, through and through, but for $.49? I have to say this is definitely a case where I’ve gotten my money’s worth. Granted, I’ve only worn them a handful of times, and I probably won’t don them again until we go to the beach next year, but when you pay less than a dollar, the bar is set pretty low. And despite that, I feel like they have at least a couple more beach visits in them. The “thong” strap itself is your basic rubber strap, which is to say it’s neither comfortable, nor uncomfortable…they’re just there. The surface of the sandal that the foot lays on is textured, which prevents it from sliding around too much while you’re trying to balance on that sometimes pesky beach sand. The bottoms are also textured to give you a little extra grip and traction on virtually any type of surface.

They actually feel quite sturdy, and I’ve not had a problem with them breaking or falling off my foot. Are they made to last forever? Absolutely not. But for the price, these are quite functional, in the most basic sense of the term. Sometimes, that’s all you need. Even at their regular price of $.98, these would be well worth it, but getting them for even cheaper is just more icing on the cake. Easily a buy that was well worth it.

Overall: 7.5/10. There is an old saying of which I’m sure everyone is quite familiar: “You get what you pay for.” There are probably few places where that’s more true than Walmart. However, these sandals – which I paid $.49 for, on clearance – are quite a steal for the price. True that it’s just a basic flip-flop, with a rubber “thong” to hold your foot in place, but I’ve navigated some semi-rough terrain (for a flip-flop) and these things have given me no reasons to worry. Will they last forever? Of course not. But considering I only tend to wear them once a year (when we go to the beach), I’m confident that they have at least two or three more visits in them before they finally succumb to its no doubt low-quality construction. Even at their regular price ($.98), these would be well worth it – if you can get them cheaper than that, it’s a no-brainer.