Flip-flop

From Free net encyclopedia

This article is about the type of footwear. For other meanings, see flip-flop (disambiguation).

Image:Flipflops.jpg 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. They appear to have been developed out of traditional Japanese woven or wooden soled sandals in New Zealand.

1 Nomenclature
2 Uses and Fashions
3 Flip-flops in popular culture
4 See also
5 External links

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Nomenclature

This sandal is known by different names in different localities:

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 the United States, they are generally known as flip-flops, thongs, zories or go-aheads (especially rubber thongs).
In Croatian they are known as "sandale" (sandals), but usually as "japanke" (japanese woman).
In Australian English these are known as thongs, havianas or pluggers, and often are referred to as an Australian Icon.
In South Africa they are also known as slops.
In Hawaii, flip-flops are known as slippers.
In India, they are referred to as chappals.
In Japan, they are referred to as beach sandals, or gomu zories (rubber zories).
In Mexico, they are referred to as chanclas.
In Peru, they are referred to as sayonaras or slaps.
In the Philippines, they are called tsinelas.
In Argentina, they are called sandalias, ojotas or, less formally, chancletas.

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Uses and Fashions

Image:Thongs.jpg Flip-flops periodically become a fashion rage in the West and in Europe; although associated with the beach or swimming pool, they are immensely popular as everyday casual shoes in many situations, especially with teenagers and young adults, and are available in a wide variety of materials such as leather, transparent plastic, rubber and wood, with prices ranging from under US$1 to over US$300.

In developing countries, especially in the tropics, rubber flip-flops are the cheapest manufactured footwear available. In some places, domestically-produced sandals are available for the equivalent of less than US$1. Despite their disposable design, street vendors will repair worn sandals for a small fee. Sometimes flip-flops are made of recycled rubber tires, lowering the cost even more. They are the footwear of choice for indigent workers, being worn for farming, construction, and other heavy manual work.

Although one of the most humble forms of footwear, many people consider flip-flops comfortable. 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. They can be fixed, but many people choose to just buy new ones, discarding away the old ones. The average life expectancy of a pair is perhaps only a year or so. A pair rarely lasts more than a couple of years before being rendered into trash.

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 males and females. They seem to be worn with almost any combination of clothing, and some regular users even wear them in the wintertime.

In late 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. Many weighed in on this controversy including Meghan Cleary, a footwear expert, who felt that a flip-flop denoted that the team was feeling very casual in the White house and suggested a closed-toe option instead for instances where decorum was observed. Cleary was cited 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.

Flip-flops are the stripped down essence of foot wear — 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 jandals 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 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 taken to carrying flip-flops, or a pair of flip-flop soles sewn to socks, as a light weight emergency replacement for damaged boots.

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 once source, called Jandals then); in the austere immediate post war period in both New Zealand and America versions were breifly popularised by servicemen returning from occupied Japan, but the idea of making them from rubber or the relatively new compund plastic 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 were manufactured by Skellerup rival Dunlop in 1960, or Flip-Flops (UK and US).

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Flip-flops in popular culture

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:

the cartoon Footrot Flats, where farming characters like Wal and Rangi wears them, when not wearing Gumboots
the Naked Samoans inspired television family, the Samesis, where 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, alternative NZ Music award, (given at Handle the Jandal)
NZ culture news and links site, "Dag and Jandal".
Former pop-rap artist Jay-Z has been criticized for committing the fashion crime of wearing flip-flops with jeans.
In the Online MRPG VMK green flips are one of the most sought after items