'I need to talk about the Olsen twins' cult $1200 rubber thongs.'

I can't stop thinking about these $1255 rubber thongs from Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen's fashion label, The Row.

Hailey Bieber was the first celebrity to be snapped in the brand's Dune Classic Flip Flops back in April. She wore them with Pilates gear. They looked like the kind of basic thongs you might pop on after a pedicure.

Watch Leigh Campbell demonstrate the 'wrong shoe theory'. Post continues below.

Since then, they have been seen on a host of stylish A-listers including Jennifer Lawrence, Dakota Johnson, Zoe Kravitz, Elizabeth Olsen and Kendall Jenner, as well as many top-tier influencers.

As seen on influencers. Images: Instagram/@lauravidrequin; @laurenratner; @jessiebush.

The style, which comes with a black strap and red or beige sole, has sold out repeatedly online, leading to extensive waitlists.

It's quite a fan-base for what could literally be the world's most expensive and underwhelming pair of flip-flops.

But these are not just thongs. They're a fashion flex.

The spendy thongs are currently sold out on most luxury retailers, such as MyTheresa. Image: MyTheresa.

The Row is no flash-in-the-pan celebrity fashion line. The Olsen sisters have now been running their high-end label for close to 20 years, and its success is a credit to their hard work in a fickle industry. The duo have largely remained behind the scenes and allowed their designs to do the talking.

The brand has earned favour with the world's top fashion critics, taken home awards for accessory design and womenswear from the Council of Fashion Designers of America, and earned a cult following among fashion-forward fans — and the Olsens have done it all without flashy marketing gimmicks or paying A-list ambassadors.

Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen, the celebrity designers behind The Row. Image: Getty.

But if the Dune Classic Flip Flops aren't a gimmick, I don't know what else you could call them.

You can talk all you want about quality and craftsmanship, but these shoes are made of rubber with grosgrain ribbon straps. Not leather or some rare animal skin.

They are effectively a very expensive pair of Havaianas.

Where other designers are creating luxury goods covered in splashy logos — a way of telling others you're in the market to buy them — The Row trades in quiet luxury. So, so quiet.

The invisible branding of the Dunes adds to their allure, but it also means you'd have to be in the true one per cent to not only afford them, but to recognise them. Part of a small, privileged club that's in the know.

On the other hand, the 'Double Plugger Thongs' by Work Boots Direct offer a similar style for the bargain price of $14.95.

The Double Plugger Thongs by Work Boots Direct. Image: Supplied.

They're not a dupe. These shoes exist in an entirely different universe. The clientele of these two brands do not cross over. But they're effectively the same thing.

So why is one pair so much more… valuable?

Wear The Row's thongs to a fashion office, and you've got instant credibility. Post them on your Instagram or TikTok feed and you're part of that elusive one per cent.

Yet if I wore these shoes to a family barbecue, the style would be absolutely lost on them. Not only would my relatives not understand the gravitas, they'd probably be confused why I was wearing such a visibly un-chic shoe.

My thongs may as well be from Work Boots Direct.

But the other side of this argument is the power these 'status' pieces give the wearer. I feel cooler when I wear my designer purchases. I take better care of them and take more pride in putting them on.

They make me move through the world with more confidence. And a lot of the time, the only person who knows is me.

Does this make The Row's flip-flops worth it? Sorry, but no. Not for $1255 of luxury rubber.

Feature image: Getty; MyTheresa.

This post originally appeared on the Substack 'Fash Chat' and has been edited and updated for currency. For more from Tamara, sign up to the newsletter or read her articles here.