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If your flip flops are getting you down or making you fall down, it's probably because they're just too big for your feet. If you notice that your piggies are swimming in your sandals, you've got narrow feet, making it near impossible to keep your favorite thongs in place. A flip flop doesn't have a back strap, which means you'll find yourself curling your toes just to keep them in place. And when you do that, you end up with major foot pain and a trashed pair of sandals. Keep your toesies docked on your sandals by adding a back strap.
1.
Slip those feet into your favorite pair of flip flops until they rest comfortably in the sandal. Chances are, if the back of your heel has to move way up just so that little plastic thing can fit between your toes, your thongs are too big to begin with. Your toes and heels should be planted just before the edges of the flip flop for the best fit.
2.
Get yourself some fancy elastic of the kind with sparkles, colors or lace. If you're going to add a back strap to a pair of cute flip flops, you may as well match it as best as you can. That being said, if you want to infuse some serious funk into your sandals, mismatching might be the right idea. Clear elastic is also available if you want to be a little more subtle.
3.
Fold one end of the elastic strip over one of the sides of the rubber thong part of the flip flop. Make it so that the elastic folds over about 1/2 inch or so. It's not an exact science, so you don't need to go overboard with the measuring.
4.
Pull the elastic so that it is semitaught over the back of your heel and fold the other end over the same way as the first. Don't make it too tight, otherwise you'll end up with major aches and pains between your big toes. Go ahead and slice another piece of elastic in the same size.
5.
Punch the pointy bits of the circle part of the snap through one end of the elastic to help if it's still folded around the thong, keeping it about a 1/2 to 1/4 inch away from the actual end. That part of the snap is what people are going to see, so make sure that part is on the outside facing side of the elastic.
6.
Stick another circular snap part through the elastic, this time on the other side of the fold right over the other snap. Do this for the opposite side, too, then for the other piece of elastic.
7.
Lay the elastic on a flat surface, preferably one you don't might gouging with a hammer, and attach the pacifier-looking parts of the snap to the backs of the other snap pieces. Little grooves in these pieces fit right over those sharp bits. Place a hammer tool, which looks like a small metal tube with a flat top and can be found at most craft stores, over the pacifier-looking piece and hold it nice and steady. Then, whack the top of the tool with a hammer to fuse each of the snaps together.
8.
Go ahead and snap those bad boys onto your flip flops. If you want, add cute little bows or gems to the back straps for extra bling.
If you want, sew yourself a fabric encasing that goes over the pieces of elastic. This gives you the opportunity to buy super cheap, white elastic and customize your back straps to virtually any color or pattern.
Snaps don't just come in basic metal; you can find super cute ones with little pearls, gems or other caps that will add some additional flair to your sandals.
