McLaren has partnered with a flip-flop manufacturer whose logo will appear on the team’s Halo for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
Lifestyle brand Gandys will produce a limited-edition range of McLaren-branded flip-flops as part of the collaboration.
“This announcement means Gandys will become the first brand to use the distinctive shape of the new-for-2018 Halo cockpit protection structure, which has often been compared to the upper of a flip-flop,” McLaren said in a statement.
Gandys co-founder Rob Forkan said the company was “thrilled when McLaren came to us with this idea.”
Rob and his brother Paul founded Gandys after losing their parents in the December 2004 tsunami that devastated much of Southeast Asia. In the years since, they established the Orphans For Orphans foundation and opened a children’s campus in Sri Lanka. All proceeds from the sale of the McLaren flip-flops will be donated to that foundation.
“By placing Gandys branding on the car’s Halo, we can help strengthen the message behind our Orphans For Orphans initiative,” Forkan added. “The Halo represents protection and inspiration, and this partnership supports creating a safe, nurturing environment for children at risk. It’s a positive step for driver safety and for Gandys’ charitable mission.”
“On a personal level, as long-time Formula 1 and McLaren fans, this opportunity was too good to pass up,” he said. “We’re excited to see Fernando, Stoffel and the whole team in action in Melbourne next weekend.”
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