Steel Blue also make a very wide range of sizes, to fit all the hard to fit blokes. My last job included our company medical centre, and we had blokes in there with incredible pain in their feet from using the wrong size boots. Too big and they're useless because your toes are behind the safety cap); too small and you can't walk properly. And while you might not like lace-ups, they give much better support for your ankle on a building site or other uneven terrain.
As for 50 years wearing thongs: good luck to him. Just don't ask me to pay the bills (on Medicare) when something does go wrong.
Cheers,