The History of Flip-Flops
It would be difficult to walk down the street in warm weather--and sometimes not so warm--without finding a person sporting a pair of flip-flops. Love them or hate them, one cannot deny their popularity in our modern world. Yet flip-flops are not a recent phenomenon. In fact, they are some of the oldest--and most global--footwear known to man.
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Early Flip-Flops
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Evidence suggests that the prototype of the flip-flop existed as far back as the Stone Age. We know for certain that they were wardrobe staples just about everywhere in the ancient world. Early sandals were made of papyrus, straw, rawhide and other materials, depending on the region. The construction was more or less the same: a base with a strap attached, worn in-between the toes.
Introduction to the United States
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Several centuries later, the bag of an American soldier returning home after World War II may have contained a pair of Zori, or traditional Japanese sandals. By the 1950s, a rendition of the Zori, made out of rubber, graced the feet of American beach and pool goers in a variety of styles. Although they were stylish and convenient, no one dared to wear them anywhere else.
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1960
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It would not be until the 1960s when the ubiquitous sound the wearer of this sandal made while walking would become a household name. Christened "flip-flops" in the continental United States, they also went by the name "thongs" in Australia and "slippers" in Hawaii. By 1962, the Brazilian company Havaianas contributed to its popularity by producing and promoting a flip-flop for everyday wear. Competitors were quick to copy their style, leading the company to claim that they had produced "the real ones."
Popularity
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People began to embrace the inherent versatility of the flip-flop by the 1990s. No longer confined to the beach and pool, flip-flops became street wear, school wear and even office wear. People not only wore flip-flops to be casual, but to dress up as well. Designer versions made of wood, leather and other quality materials appeared on the market, with price tags well above those of their polyurethane counterparts.
Today
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According to PecheBlu, a retailer of the sandal, flip-flops are a $2 billion a year industry in the United States. That is not to say that the flip-flop lacks for critics. The American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons links the rise in foot problems amongst young adults to the flip-flop. Others lament that allowing flip-flops in the office promotes an informality not conducive to a work environment. Nevertheless, with thousands of years behind it, it is highly unlikely that the flip-flop will meet its demise anytime soon.
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References
- Photo Credit wharman: Flickr.com
