Christopher Esber Flip Flops: Jo, Palma, Memento and Aura Compared, With Sizing

Christopher Esber makes four families of flip flop: the Jo in jelly PVC, the Palma in leather and raffia, the Memento with a metal charm strand, and the Aura with a polished stone at the toe. All are made in Italy and sold in Italian sizing. The one rule to remember: the brand says the Jo runs small, so take a full size up.

In Australia the same shoes are called thongs, and the Jo is the style most people mean when they search for them. Below, each family is compared on material, sole and fit, with notes on which suits the beach and which suits dinner. Shop them all in the Christopher Esber collection.

The four Christopher Esber flip flop families at a glance

The Jo: the jelly flip flop

The Jo Flip Flop is the one that made the line famous. It is cut from 100% PVC with a soft, semi-transparent finish, hand made in Italy, and the brand describes it as water resistant. That makes it the only Christopher Esber flip flop designed to get wet. It comes in a long run of colours, from black and clear through to lemon, grape, grenadine and cola, plus tortoiseshell-effect versions.

Sizing: the brand states plainly that the Jo runs small and recommends going up a full size. If you are a 38 in most Italian shoes, order the 39. The same note applies to the Billi T-Bar Flat, which is made from the same jelly PVC.

The Palma: leather and raffia

The Palma Flip Flop pairs a slim cow leather strap with a handwoven raffia footbed on a rubber sole. It is a dry-weather shoe: raffia does not like the sea. Christopher Esber lists it as made in Italy. It is the flip flop to wear with linen trousers and a long dress in a holiday town.

The Memento: the evening flip flop

The Memento Charm Flip Flop runs a strand of metal charms across a lamb leather strap, on a cow leather sole. There is a heeled version too, the Memento Charm Flip Flop Heel, which adds a stiletto and ties that wrap the ankle. Both are made in Italy, and both suit summer evenings far better than a sandy beach.

The Aura: the stone flip flop

The Aura family carries the house signature, a polished natural stone set at the centre front, in the same spirit as the stone turnlocks on the bags. It comes as a flat Aura Quartz Flip Flop, a raffia version, the Aura Quartz Flip Flop Wedge and two mules. These are lamb leather and made in Italy.

How to wear them

• Beach and pool: the Jo, with a swimsuit and a sarong.
• Holiday lunch: the Palma with a linen shirt and a long skirt.
• Summer evening: the Memento heel with a slip dress, the Aura with tailored trousers.

For the full size conversion, see the Christopher Esber size guide. For more of the label’s shoes, read our guide to Christopher Esber shoes.

Jelly flip flops: the practical case

A PVC flip flop like the Jo can do things leather cannot: it rinses clean, it can go straight from the sea to a cafe, and it will not mark if it gets wet. The trade-off is warmth and give. PVC does not soften like leather, which is one reason the brand recommends a full size up.

Jelly sandals, clear flip flops and PVC: the Jo by another name

When people search for Christopher Esber jelly sandals, jelly flip flops and clear flip flops, they almost always mean the Jo Flip Flop. It is 100% PVC with a semi-transparent finish, so the clear colourways such as dune clear and black clear show the foot through the strap and sole. The same jelly PVC makes the Billi T-Bar Flat. Both run small, so size up a full size.

Christopher Esber sandals beyond the flip flop

The same ideas carry into the label’s other sandals: the polished stone of the Aura Quartz Kitten Mule and Aura Quartz Flip Flop Wedge, the charms of the Memento Charm Flip Flop Heel, and fine strappy heels. Our Christopher Esber shoes guide covers them all.

Frequently asked questions

Do Christopher Esber Jo flip flops run small?

Yes. Christopher Esber says the Jo flip flop runs small and recommends sizing up a full size. The Billi T-Bar Flat, made from the same PVC, carries the same note.

What are Christopher Esber flip flops made of?

It depends on the style. The Jo is 100% PVC, the Palma is cow leather on a raffia footbed with a rubber sole, and the Memento and Aura are lamb leather with cow leather soles.

Are Christopher Esber flip flops waterproof?

The brand describes the PVC Jo as water resistant, so it is the one to wear in the sea and the pool. The leather and raffia styles should be kept dry.

Where are Christopher Esber flip flops made?

Christopher Esber lists its flip flops as made in Italy, and they are sold in Italian sizing.

What is the difference between the Christopher Esber Jo and Palma?

The Jo is a jelly PVC flip flop that can get wet and runs small. The Palma is a leather and raffia flip flop for dry weather, with no sizing correction from the brand.

Are Christopher Esber thongs the same as flip flops?

Yes. Thongs is the Australian word for flip flops, and the Christopher Esber Jo is the style most Australians mean by it.

Are Christopher Esber jelly sandals the same as the Jo flip flop?

Usually, yes. The Christopher Esber Jo flip flop is a jelly sandal in 100% PVC, and its clear colourways are what most people mean by Esber jelly sandals.

Read next: Christopher Esber shoes, Christopher Esber mesh flats, Christopher Esber size guide.