There is a difference: a sandal holds the back of the foot with straps around the ankle, front and rear, so the heel stays put in all directions.

My flip-flop has an elastic cord to pull the front strap against the front of my foot, to do what the toes can’t do anymore - i.e. keep it there.

But notice how the elastic cord is attached to the flip-flop as far forward as possible: the reason for that is to let the heel lift off at each step, and move sideways some, like a true flip-flop would.

The elastic cords only pull the flip-flops backward so they don’t go flying off at each step, but otherwise preserve the “sloppy footwear” feel that only flip-flops provide, that remind me so much of summer freedom.

They also let me experience the feeling of the strap on what used to be the spot between my toes - at least on my one foot that still feels it.

It’s all about recreating the experience. It’s not for convenience: if I want truly secure summer footwear, I’ll wear proper sandals. But they don’t quite feel like freedom to me 🙂