Various kinds of flip-flops, from cheap foam/plastic to leather

In footwear and fashion, flip-flops are a kind of flat, backless sandal that consist of a flat sole held on the foot by a u-shaped strap that passes between the first (big) and second toes and around either side of the foot, attached to the sole at three points, commonly known as the thong strap. They appear to have been developed out of traditional Japanese woven or wooden soled sandals (i.e., zori and setta) in New Zealand. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 1372 KB) Summary Description: various kinds of flip-flops Source: self-created Date: 2006-04-10 Author: Ecurran Permission: GFDL (self-made) Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 1372 KB) Summary Description: various kinds of flip-flops Source: self-created Date: 2006-04-10 Author: Ecurran Permission: GFDL (self-made) Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The term fashion usually applies to a prevailing mode of expression, but quite often applies to a personal mode of expression that may or may not adhere to prevailing ideals. ... Modern multi-colored Sandalette Yoga sandals In some parts of the United States, these type of sandals are referred to in slang as mandals, generally because they are primarily worn by men. ... Straw Zori from the 19th century Modern, plastic womens zori Zori (jp: 草履 zōri) are thonged Japanese sandals made of straw (usually rice straw) or other plant fibers, lacquered wood, or—increasingly—synthetic materials. ...

Nomenclature

Flip flops being worn

A pair of worn Flip flops

This sandal is known by different names in different localities: Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2048x1536, 1429 KB) Summary This photo was taken by me, and anyone can use it for anything they want. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2048x1536, 1429 KB) Summary This photo was taken by me, and anyone can use it for anything they want. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Oaflipflops. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Oaflipflops. ... A name is a label for a thing, person, place, product (as in a brand name), and even an idea or concept, normally used to distinguish one from another. ...

• In Argentina they are known as ojotas.
• In Australian English these are known as thongs or pluggers or Darra loafers (Brisbane), and often are considered an Australian icon.
• In Brazil and Portugal, they are known as sandálias and sometimes havaianas
• In Croatia they are known as Japanke
• In Estonia they are known as frons
• In France, they are called tongs.
• In Hawaii and Netherlands, flip-flops are known as slippers or slippas
• In India, similar sandals are known as chappals. Some kinds of chappals are made of leather, and some have a strap over the big toe.
• In Indonesia, they are known as sandal jepit (or sometimes sendal jepit).
• In Israel they are known as Kafkafim or Kafkafei Etsba
• In Italy they are known as infradito (between toes).
• In Japan, modern western style flip-flops are known as sandaru, differentiating them from traditional Japanese footwear.
• In Malaysia they are known as Selipar Jepun (Japanese Slipper)
• In Mexico they are known as Chanclas or Guaraches.
• In Micronesia they are known as Zorries
• In New Zealand English they are known generically as jandals (Japanese Sandals), a name used by one manufacturer. However intellectual property law prevented the term Jandals being used when sold in other countries.
• In Peru they are known as sayonaras or slaps.
• In Philippines they are known as Tsinelas.
• In Poland they are known the same as in New Zealand - Japonki (Japanese Sandals).
• In Puerto Rico they are known as chancletas or sandálias' .
• In Russia they are known as Lyagushki or Shlepki or also known as Slantse (see wiktionary:shlep)
• In South Africa they are also known as slops.
• In Trinidad & Tobago they are known as Slippers
• In Turkey they are known as Tokyo
• In the United States, they are generally known as flip-flops, thongs, and beach walkers
• In Venezuela they are known as cholas

Australian English (AuE) is the form of the English language used in Australia. ... Havaianas is a Brazilian shoe brand, produced by Sao Paulo Alpargatas SA, that is most well known for their rubber sandals. ... Tongs used for cooking or serving food Tongs are gripping and lifting tools, of which there are many forms adapted to their specific use. ... This article is becoming very long. ... A chappal is an item of Indian footwear, which resemble flip flops but have the added feature of a toe strap. ... Modern leather-working tools Leather is a material created through the tanning of hides, pelts and skins of animals, primarily cows. ... The hallux or big toe is the biological name for digit I. In humans and non-human primates, the hallux is the largest toe on the foot. ... New Zealand English is the English spoken in New Zealand. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...

Uses and fashions

Flip flops were not always the fashion staple many consider them today. Up until the late 1990s, flip flops were considered strictly poolside or beach wear. They were poorly made and generally purchased at drugstores or discount stores for a dollar or less. Today, flip flops have even become acceptable for casual evening wear, as evidenced by the prevalence of more comfortable, better-made, and more expensive styles. Japanese Drugstore Sugi Yakkyoku Drugstore is a common term for a pharmacy. ... A discount store is a retail store offering a wide range of products, many branded, at discounted prices. ...

In developing countries, rubber flip-flops are the cheapest footwear available – typically less than $1. Despite their disposable design, street vendors will repair worn sandals for a small fee. Sometimes flip-flops are made of recycled rubber tires, reducing the cost even further. They are the footwear of choice for indigent workers, being worn for farming, construction, and other heavy manual work. It has been suggested that Third World be merged into this article or section. ... ISO 4217 Code USD User(s) the United States, the British Virgin Islands, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Panama, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the insular areas of the United States Inflation 3. ... A tire or tyre (see spelling differences and etymological origins) is a device covering the circumference of a wheel. ...

Flip flops are also popular with barefooters when they have to wear shoes since they allow the foot to be out in the open but still constitute a shoe, and are quickly and easily removed to expose the bare foot. They are also popular because they are easy to bring in a backpack or purse because of their flat design. Walking barefoot Going barefoot is the practice of walking without shoes or socks. ... Womens shoes on display in a shop window, July 2005 A shoe is an item of footwear. ... A backpack A backpack is, in its simplest form, a cloth sack carried on ones back and secured with two straps that go over the shoulders and below the armpits. ... Purses, such as this one by Burberry, are fashion accessories with a function. ...

Many people consider flip-flops comfortable, and flip-flops tend to conform to the foot structure of the wearer.

Some people like to wear the sandals every day. Unfortunately, flip-flops are often not very sturdy and the straps may snap after moderate use (this is known as a "blowout"). They can be fixed, but many people choose to just buy new ones, discarding of the old ones. The average life expectancy of a pair is perhaps only a year or so. World map of life expectancy Life expectancy is a statistical measure defined as the expected (mean) survival. ...

The term "flip-flop" derives from the rhythmic slapping noise that the sandals make while slapping against the wearer's heels and the floor as he or she walks. In recent years, flip-flops have become a popular fashion statement, especially among high school and college age females. They seem to be worn with almost any combination of clothing, and some regular users even wear them in the wintertime, although more commonly of the slide variety (ie Adidas Adilette) and with socks. They are most commonly worn in the summertime, usually with shorts, but sometimes by women with capri pants or jeans. The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. ... Walking is the main form of animal locomotion on land, distinguished from running and crawling. ... Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer, part of the Adidas Group. ...

On July 19, 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. Many weighed in on this controversy including Meghan Cleary, a footwear expert, who stated that a closed-toe shoe would have been more appropriate. Cleary noted on MSNBC's Connected: Coast to Coast program as saying the flip-flop flap indicated a cultural shift similar to when blue jeans were first worn in public. Northwestern University is a private, coeducational, non-sectarian research university, located in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, U.S.. Northwesterns main campus is a 240-acre (970,000 m²) parcel in Evanston, along the shore of Lake Michigan. ... For other articles with similar names, see Lacrosse (disambiguation). ... North façade of the White House, seen from Pennsylvania Avenue. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American businessman and politician, was elected in 2000 as the 43rd President of the United States of America, re-elected in 2004, and is currently serving his second term in that office. ...

Flip-flops are the stripped-down essence of footwear — essentially a thin rubber sole with two simple straps running in a Y from the sides of the foot to the join between the big toe and next toe. Popular use of flip-flops as simple warm climate beach or outdoor wear has spread through much of the world, although it is most common in Australia, New Zealand, other Pacific Islands, and East Asia. The Pacific Ocean has an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 islands; the exact number has not been precisely determined. ... East Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms. ...

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. French Squatter toilet A squat toilet is a toilet where the user squats. ...

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. Following on from this, some soldiers and other trampers or hikers have begun carrying flip-flops, or a pair of flip-flop soles sewn to socks, as a lightweight emergency replacement for damaged boots.

Indeed, the Indian manifestation of the flip-flop, the chappal, has even been known to be deployed as a weapon, both as a truncheon and a missile, although it is more commonly merely 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).

Flip-flops were inspired by the traditional woven soled zori or "Japanese Sandals", (hence "jandals"). Woven Japanese zori had been used as beach wear in New Zealand in the 1930s, (and according to one source, called Jandals then); in the austere immediate post war period in both New Zealand and America versions were briefly popularized by servicemen returning from occupied Japan, but the idea of making them from rubber or plastics, which were relatively new at the time, does not appear to have occurred for another decade. The modern design was invented in Auckland, New Zealand by Maurice Yock in the 50's and patented in 1957. Straw Zori from the 19th century Modern, plastic womens zori Zori (jp: 草履 zōri) are thonged Japanese sandals made of straw (usually rice straw) or other plant fibers, lacquered wood, or—increasingly—synthetic materials. ... Sandal (or Sandals) may refer to: Sandal (footwear) are an open type of footwear. ... Straw Zori from the 19th century Modern, plastic womens zori Zori (jp: 草履 zōri) are thonged Japanese sandals made of straw (usually rice straw) or other plant fibers, lacquered wood, or—increasingly—synthetic materials. ...

Despite being commonly used to describe any manufacturer's Jandals, the word Jandal has been a trademark since 1957, for a long time owned by the Skellerup company. At one point a competitor sold Jandels. In countries outside the Pacific, jandals have, for intellectual property reasons, become known by other names, for example Thongs in Australia, where the first pair were manufactured by Skellerup rival Dunlop in 1960, or Flip-Flops (UK and US). In footwear and fashion, flip-flops are a kind of flat, backless sandal that consist of simple soles held on the foot by a V-shaped strap that passes between the toes and around either side of the foot, attached to the sole at three points. ... Dunlop Tyres is an international United Kingdom-based company founded in 1888 by John Boyd Dunlop after he invented the modern pneumatic inflatable tyre. ... In footwear and fashion, flip-flops are a kind of flat, backless sandal that consist of simple soles held on the foot by a V-shaped strap that passes between the toes and around either side of the foot, attached to the sole at three points. ...

In New Zealand, the phrase "to handle the jandal" is a common idiom. As an example, Ben can't handle the jandal indicates that the subject Ben is incapable of dealing with his particular situation.

Some people will say that they like the open feet feeling and the little strap that goes between their toes, Also sometimes people wear Flip-Flops because they want to draw other's attention while making the slapping noise that comes out from the flip-flops while walking with them. Various kinds of flip-flops, from cheap foam/plastic to leather In footwear and fashion, flip-flops are a kind of flat, backless sandal that consist of a flat sole held on the foot by a u-shaped strap that passes between the first (big) and second toes and around...

Flip-flops in popular culture

• in the lyrics of the 1977 hit Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffet "I blew out my flip-flop"
• Flip-flops have come to be seen as an important item of Kiwiana, and are often referenced in New Zealand and Pacific Island Culture. A Jandal designed to be posted and sent through the mail was produced as a gimmick to send overseas. Jandals can be seen in:
• at the closing ceremony for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Kylie Minogue was carried into the stadium on a giant thong to perform "On a Night Like This".
• the cartoon Footrot Flats, where farming characters like Wal and Rangi wear them, when not wearing gumboots
• in the Naked Samoans inspired television family, Mrs. Samesi's usual method of showing displeasure is a well-aimed jandal,
• in wearable art, a number of up-market and quirky jandal designs have appeared, (while a dress made out of jandals appeared on a Drag Queen in the movie Priscilla, Queen of the Desert)
• in the cartoon sitcom Bro'Town, where characters frequently wear jandals, and in the episode, "The Wong One", jandals were used as a Kung Fu weapon
• in the lyrics of King Kapisi, "I'm goin' stompin, in my big Pacific Island jandals," and in his music videos, in one of which jandals were used to take bids at a sheep auction
• The Golden Jandal, awarded at the Radio Active 89FM Handle the Jandal awards, to celebrate D.I.Y. music videos for New Zealand music.
• NZ culture news and links site, "Dag and Jandal".
• NZ TV series Jandals Away.
• In the Online MRPG VMK green flip-flops are one of the most sought-after items
• A popular campaign theme for the Republican Party was to label 2004 Presidential candidate John Kerry as indecisive on the issues, or a "flip-flopper." Delegates at the 2004 Republican National Convention could be seen waving flip-flops.
• In movie It's All Gone Pete Tong, flip-flops are one of the main motive and major figure of DJ Frankie Wilde said "Flip-flop is to me perfection."
• In 2005, the Northwestern Women's Lacrosse team had a photograph taken with President George W. Bush. The photo raised significant controversy because several of the women wore flip-flops in the picture, sparking a debate over proper attire in youth culture.
• Recently, rapper Cam 'ron has criticized Jay-Z publicly for his wearing of jeans with chancletas, which are relatively cheap sandals usually favored by latinos. However, many believe Jay-Z was actually wearing some form of expensive slipper, not the relatively cheap chancletas, which are usually worn with socks and not with jeans.

A Margarita: the eponymous beverage Margaritaville is a 1977 song by Jimmy Buffett. ... Jimmy Buffett (born December 25, 1946 in Pascagoula, Mississippi) is an American singer and songwriter, best known for his island escapism lifestyle and music including hits such as Margaritaville. ... The culture of New Zealand is a fusion of Maori culture and that of the descendants of the early British colonists and later settlers, many of whom were of working class origin. ... (Redirected from 2000 Olympics) Categories: 2000 Summer Olympics ... This article is about the metropolitan area in Australia. ... Kylie Ann Minogue (born May 28, 1968) is a Grammy Award winning Australian singer-songwriter and occasional actress. ... On A Night Like This is Kylies 2nd Video from Light Years and it top in number 2 in the U.K. and Australia ... Footrot Flats was a comic strip written by New Zealand cartoonist Murray Ball. ... A pair of Wellington boots The Wellington boot, also known as a welly, a wellie, or a gumboot, is a type of boot based upon Hessian boots worn and popularised by Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington and fashionable among the British aristocracy in the early 19th century. ... Wearable Art, also known as Artwear, describes the making of individually designed pieces of usually hand-made clothing as artistic expressions. ... The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is the name of a 1994 Australian film about a trio of drag queens driving across the outback from Sydney to Alice Springs in a large bus they have named Priscilla. ... BroTown is New Zealands first adult-targeted animated series. ... Alternative meaning: Kung Fu (TV series) Kung fu or gongfu (功夫, Pinyin: gōngfu) is a well-known Chinese term used in the West to designate Chinese martial arts. ... King Kapisi is a Hip Hop artist prominant in the New Zealand/Australasian Hip-Hop music scene. ... This article is about the modern United States Republican Party. ... John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is the junior United States Senator from Massachusetts. ... 2004 Republican National Convention Logo President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney accepted their partys nomination to run for second terms. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Arch, the main entrance to Northwesterns Evanston campus Northwestern University is a private university seated in Evanston, Illinois, on a 240 acre (970,000 m²) campus along the shores of Lake Michigan. ... For other articles with similar names, see Lacrosse (disambiguation). ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and the 43rd and current President of the United States. ... Jay-Z (aka the Jigga, HOV and Hova, born Shawn Carter on December 4, 1970 in Brooklyn, New York) is an African American rapper/hip hop artist and record label executive; one of the most popular and successful rappers of the late 1990s and early 2000s. ...

Health concerns

While commonly believed to be comfortable, flip-flops provide little to no ankle support, and are responsible for many foot related issues. Dr. John E. Mancuso, a podiatrist at the Manhattan Podiatry Associates in New York pointed out that some flip-flops have a spongy sole, so when then foot hits the ground, it rolls inward and the sponge allows it to roll even more than usual. This is known as pronation and causes many problems in the foot. Each time a foot hits the ground, the arch is supposed to be locked to absorb shock. But during pronation, the arch opens and releases this locking mechanism, leading to problems such as pain in the heel, the arch, the toes and in the forefoot. Exacerbating this, some flip-flops force a person to overuse the tendons in the foot, which can cause tendonitis.

Ankle sprains are also common due to stepping off a curb or stepping wrong, the ankle bends, but the flip flop does not hold on to nor supports it. The open nature of flip-flops also exposes the foot to the enviroment. Dirty side walks and tall grass can lead to an increased chance of infection.

See also

• Espadrilles
• Geta (footwear)
• Zori
• Waraji
• Slipper
• Sandal (footwear)
• Chappal