Dag, my flip flops are the reason I didn’t win the Chicago Marathon

Don’t think that’s a legitimate excuse? Well, the folks at PêcheBlu would back me up. You see, “regular flip flops,” which many athletes wear off the field, make the feet “work harder to re-grip the soles with every step,” says the company, leading to “foot fatigue.” And tired feet “put skilled athletes at a competitive advantage,” say the marketing wizards at PêcheBlu.

After all, “A tenth of a second can mean the difference between first and last place,” says the company. Well, maybe that’s true if there are only two people racing.

PêcheBlu certainly is not the first company to incorporate form-fitting, performance designs and comfort into a flip flop, as the company suggests, but it’s the first time we’ve seen après footwear sold as a performance enhancer. Nice run.