|
Flip-flops
(also known as thongs) are a flat, backless, usually
rubber sandal consisting of a flat sole held loosely on the
foot by a Y-shaped strap that passes between the big and
second toes and around either side of the foot. They appear
to have been developed based on traditional Japanese woven or
wooden soled sandals.
Because
of the popularity of thong sandals as dress shoes, hosiery
manufacturers make stockings with a gap between the first toe
and second toes to accommodate the thong!
This
sandal is known by different names in different localities -
In
Australia they are known as thongs
In
Denmark they are known as klip-klappere
In France
they are known as tongs or claquettes
In Spain
they are known as chancletas or chanclas
In South
Africa they are known as slops
In Wales
they are known as flop-flip
In the US
Navy they are known as go-slowers
In most
developing countries, rubber flip-flops are the cheapest
footwear available and many measures are used to reduce cost,
such as making them out of recycled tyres. Because of this,
they are very widely used in these countries as typical
footwear instead of a fashion statement. Despite their
disposable design, street vendors will repair worn sandals for
a small fee. The strap between the toes can snap very easily
after moderate use, but this problem was somewhat alleviated
with the invention of replacement straps that could be
“snapped” back into place on a shoe.
On 19
July 2005, some members of Northwestern University’s national
champion women’s lacrosse team were criticized for wearing
“flip-flops” to the White House to meet with President George
W Bush. Although the women pointed out that their shoes were
not “beach shoes” but were dressier thong sandals, many
weighed in on this fashion choice. The women auctioned off
the thong sandals worn to the White House to raise money for a
10-year-old girl with a brain tumour.
In Japan
and Korea where it is common to leave shoes outside the house
and the use of squat toilets is common, flip-flops are
typically provided to wear while using the toilet! The use of
flip-flops has also been encouraged in some branches of
European and North American military as sanitary footwear in
communal showers, where wearing flip-flops slows the spread of
fungal infections. Some soldiers and other hikers have begun
carrying flip-flops, or a pair of flip-flop soles sewn to
socks, or as a lightweight emergency replacement for damaged
boots.
The
Indian manifestation of the flip-flop, the chappal, is used as
a threat. It is not unheard of for people to whip off their
chappals in the heat of an argument in order to make their
aggravation more palpable to the other party (touching the
shoes or feet of another, in some Indian cultures, is a sign
of respect or submission).
Although
said to be inspired by the traditional woven soled “Japanese
Sandals”, the modern design was purportedly invented in
Auckland, New Zealand, by Morris Yock in the 1950s and
patented in 1957. However, this claim has recently been
contested by the children of John Cowie who say that Morris
Yock was no more than an importer, and John Cowie truly
pioneered the conversion of the Japanese sandal from
traditional woven materials to plastic.
While
widely regarded to be comfortable, flip-flops provide little
to no ankle support and are responsible for many foot related
issues - ankle sprains are common as are stubbed toes. |
