Flip-flops
In footwear and fashion, thongs 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. They appear to have been developed based on traditional Japanese woven or wooden soled sandals. The exact invention date is not known. The flip-flop is not the only type of thong sandal. Other types exist, many of which are dressier and more formal that simple flip-flops. A basic thong sandal is held on the foot by a strip that fits between the first and second toes and is connected to a strap usually passing over the top or around the sides of the foot. Some thong sandals have a strap that forms a loop around the first (big) toe. However, many different additions and variations of straps are possible. Thong sandals come in a variety of styles such as women's heels, slides, and wedges, or kitten heels. Flip Flops have a style of their own, setting a barrier different from other types of shoes. These dressier versions of the thong sandal are often made of leather, suede, patent leather, metallic finishes, fabric and other textiles. Based upon prevailing fashion, they are sometimes embellished with buckles, jewelry, fringes, medallions, and beading. In their more formal incarnations, thong sandals are interchangeable with any other dressy sandal, and are often worn as dress shoes. The term "flip-flop" is not generically used to describe this dressier style of thong sandal.
Because of the popularity of thong sandals as dress shoes, hosiery manufacturers make hose (stockings) with a gap between the first toe and second toes to accommodate the thong.
Nomenclature
This sandal is known by different names in different localities:
- In Brazil they are known as sandalhas or chinelos
- In Gibraltar they are known as shankas
- In Australian English these are known as thongs.
- In Canada they are known as flip flops.
- In Estonia they are known as plätud.
- In Philippines they are known as tsinelas.
- In Hawaii, 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. They are also called Sawan.
- In Italy, they are called infradito , literally inter-toes.
- In Jamaica, they are known as slippers or sandals.
- In Malawi they are known as "ma slippas" or "ma pata pata".
- In Micronesia they are known as Zorries.
- In New Zealand English they are known generically as jandals.
- In Pakistan they are known as chappals, qainchey chappals or Hawaiian chappals
- In Poland they are known as "Japonki" which literally translated means "Japanese women", but its real meaning is simply "The Japanese"
- In Slovakia they are known as žabky (translated means frogs)
- In Sri Lanka they are known as Bata, after the name of the most popular flip-flop brand in the country Bata.
- In Trinidad & Tobago they are known as Slippers
- In Uganda they are known as Makambos
- In the United States, they are generally known as flip-flops, go-aheads, thongs, and zories
- In the United States Army, they are known as shower-shoes
- In the United States Navy, they are known as go-slowers (a play on "go-fasters", the Navy term for running shoes)
- In Israel, they are known as כפכפי-אצבע (transliterated into English: kafkafey-etsba, meaning finger flip-flops
- In The Netherlands, they are known as teenslippers
- In Flanders, they are known as teensletsen
- In Argentina, they are known as ojotas.
Uses and fashions
Flip-flops are the most basic 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, California (USA), the Pacific Islands, and Southeast Asia. Indeed, in the warmer climates of Australia, New Zealand, and California, flip flops (thongs) have become something of a fashion statement amongst teens and young adults, so much so that have begun to replace enclosed shoes as everyday footwear during the warmer seasons.
Flip flops were not always the fashion staple many consider them today. 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.
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 can be quickly and easily removed to expose one's bare feet. They are also popular because they are easy to bring in a backpack or purse because of their flat design.
Many people consider flip-flops comfortable. 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. Unintentionally in the name of fashion, the invention of interchangeable straps that lock into the base of the sandal ameliorated this problem. Still, the average life expectancy of a pair is perhaps only a year or so depending on the material make-up of the soles.
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. Although the women pointed out that their shoes were not "beach shoes," but were dressier thong sandals, many weighed in on this fashion choice. Those adding to the controversy included 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. The Northwestern Women's Lacrosse Team auctioned off the thong sandals worn to the White House to raise money for a 10 year-old girl with a brain tumor. [1] [2]
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. 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, were then called Jandals). In the post war period in both New Zealand and America, versions were briefly popularized by servicemen returning from occupied Japan. The idea of making sandals 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.
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 manufactured by Skellerup rival Dunlop in 1960, or flip-flops (UK and US).
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.
Flip flops now come in a variety of shoe styles other than the traditional flat sandal, such as women's heels, slides, and wedges.
The shoes gained popularity as celebrities started wearing them and high end designers started producing them. Designer Sigerson Morrison first added a kitten heel to flip flops.
Flip-flops in popular culture
- In the 1977 hit Margaritaville, Jimmy Buffett sings, "I blew out my flip-flop."
- Flip-flops have come to be seen as an important item of my closet. I love them so much! 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:
- 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".
- in 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
- in The Golden Jandal, awarded at the Radio Active 89FM Handle the Jandal awards, to celebrate D.I.Y. music videos for New Zealand music.
- in NZ culture news and links site, "Dag and Jandal".
- in 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 University 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. 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.
- The cartoon illustrated fiction book, "Flip Flop Bop," written by Matt Novak in 2005 tells the story of school children who mark the end of school and the start of summer by wearing flip flops from "The Flip Flop Shop." This rhyming children's read showcases the growing popularity of the shoe that was once strictly beach wear.
- On the Adult Swim television show, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, the Aqua Teens' neighbour, Carl, wears green flip-flops.
Health concerns
While widely regarded 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 the 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.
Many people believe that the pronation of the foot is meant to be left un-controlled. The arch is supposed to flex downward to absorb shock, rather than the arch being locked.
The need to control the pronation or supinaton of the foot is currently being questioned. See http://www.american-trackandfield.com/features/nikefreereview04.html
Ankle sprains are also common due to stepping off a curb or stepping wrong; the ankle bends, but the flip flop neither holds on to nor supports it. The open nature of flip-flops also makes the wearer more susceptible to stubbed toes, and exposes the foot to the environment.
References
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