Rainbow Sandals founder’s heart and sole are in flip-flops

When Jay “Sparky” Longley paddles out on his surfboard to catch a wave off the Orange County coast, he doesn’t see only the challenge of the sport that is so much a part of his life.

He sees the vastness of the ocean, the mystery of nature and how easy it can be for people to neglect the care of the planet.

These were some of the thoughts he had in the 1970s, when he was in his 20s. He was mowing lawns for a living and dropping the clippings off at the dump, a process that also piqued his interest in best environmental practices.

As he thought also about his future, he decided he wanted to create a product that people could rely on for years, if not a lifetime. What could he make that would be so durable that it didn’t end up in the garbage?

Being a surfer, he knew he wanted a quality flip-flop that didn’t quickly split apart or form blisters on his bare feet like so many cheap pairs.

“I wanted to make something that lasted forever,” Longley said, “so I thought, ‘I’m going to make a sandal.’”

With no experience making shoes, Longley began doing just that in his Laguna Beach garage in 1972.

The sandals are now worldwide surfwear icons, though much of the manufacturing and business operations haven’t strayed far from their roots.

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On a recent, 70-degree morning, Longley — dressed as if he had just waded out of the surf — drove the few miles from his home in south Orange County to his retail outlet showroom, a Tiki-themed building that also serves as the factory headquarters, on Calle de los Molinos in San Clemente. Inside, he brushed past dozens of shadowboxes brimming with soles and handwritten thank-you notes mailed to the store by loyal customers.

This is where it happens, where 15% of the brand’s 2 million pairs are made each year.

State and federal regulations limit the San Clemente production to 1,000 pairs a day. The rest are made in China but are hand-inspected to make sure the quality rivals domestic production.

It’s all part of Longley’s commitment to develop a sandal that looks and feels great but won’t wear out.

In 1972, after his moment of business inspiration, he tinkered with how to craft a well-made sandal that didn’t snap, tear or hurt.

In 1975, surf-retailer Dick Metz at local Hobie Sports accepted on consignment half a dozen of Longley’s hand-crafted flip-flops.

They sold.

Having earned enough money to make 12 pairs, Longley continued his Hobie consignment operation and began to sell in the Sawdust Art Festival parking lot.

But operators and other paying vendors weren’t happy with the competition, so Longley was kicked out.

He headed south to San Clemente and stumbled on a corrugated metal shack that he could rent for $250 a month. Today, the shack, with additional rooms, remains the factory and outlet store.

Now he needed a business name.

Sun Sandals?

No.

Moon Sandals?

Didn’t work.

Rainbow Sandals?

“It’s the best name ever,” he said with a smile.

Longley opened Rainbow Sandals in 1974, and pretty soon surfers spread the word about the comfortable footwear. Tourists wanted what the locals wore, and soon beachgoers everywhere were wearing the flip-flop phenom.

The high-end flip-flops, which typically run from $36 for a hemp sandal to $51 for a leather model, are now available throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe and Australia. Retailers include Nordstrom, Dillard’s, PacSun and J.Crew.

The product, finished with a memory foam sole and leather strap, can withstand 2,000 pounds of pressure. The sole is guaranteed for life, keeping wearers covered for many summers.

“We’re a functional item that became fashionable because it was built out of functionality,” Longley said. “It’s the same construction for each sandal ... style.”

Shaquille O’Neal, Gerard Butler, Lauren Conrad and the late Paul Walker have all been known to sport Rainbows.

Longley said he is grateful for the brand’s success and gives back to schools, organizations and people down on their luck.

“See this?” he asked as he picked up a weathered sandal needing minor repair. “I’d still wear that.”

And someone will. He donates used flip-flops to people in need, as part of the company’s “repair, reuse, recycle” philosophy to keep its products out of landfills.

The Rainbow Sandal guarantee is for the lifetime of the sole. The sandals, the company said, will forever be under warranty until they have been worn through. The factory will repair the sandals only if they are damaged or defective because of manufacturing defects.

When a customer is through with a pair and they are past warranty, the sandals may be returned to the factory outlet store for a 10% discount off a new pair. The layered construction, Longley explained, allows the team to repair and donate the sandals to the homeless, the orphaned and victims of natural disasters.

“It’s about giving sandals to somebody in need, and people feel good about helping others,” he said. “That’s what keeps me going, knowing I can save the sandal and save the sole,” he said, pausing on the thought of words similar in meaning.

“Sole or soul, I like helping both,” he said.