Flip-flops
In the United States the modern flip-flop may have had its design taken from the traditional Japanese zōri after World War II, as soldiers brought them back from Japan.
[2] Flip-flops are also called thongs (sometimes pluggers,[3] single- or double- depending on construction) in Australia,[4] jandals (originally a trademarked name derived from "Japanese sandals") in New Zealand,[5] and slops or plakkies in South Africa and Zimbabwe.
[citation needed] Thong sandals have been worn for thousands of years, as shown in images of them in ancient Egyptian murals from 4,000 BC.
[13] The modern flip-flop became popular in the United States as soldiers returning from World War II brought Japanese zōri with them.
As such, they were promoted as primarily a casual accessory, typically worn with shorts, bathing suits, or summer dresses.
[22] In 2011, while vacationing in his native Hawaii, Barack Obama became the first President of the United States to be photographed wearing a pair of flip-flops.
[23] The Dalai Lama of Tibet is also a frequent wearer of flip-flops and has met with several U.S. presidents, including George W. Bush and Barack Obama, while wearing the sandals.
[24][25] While exact sales figures for flip-flops are difficult to obtain due to the large number of stores and manufacturers involved, the Atlanta-based company Flip Flop Shops claimed that the shoes were responsible for a $20 billion industry in 2009.
[26] The modern flip-flop has a straightforward design, consisting of a thin sole with two straps running in a Y shape from the sides of the foot to the gap between the big toe and the one beside it.
[31] However, walking for long periods in flip-flops can result in pain in the feet, ankles and lower legs[32] or tendonitis.
[35] The American Podiatric Medical Association strongly recommends that people not play sports in flip-flops, or do any type of yard work with or without power tools, including cutting the grass, when they wear these shoes.
[35] There are reports of people who ran or jumped in flip-flops and suffered sprained ankles, fractures, and severe ligament injuries that required surgery.
[32] Because they provide almost no protection from the sun, on a part of the body more heavily exposed and where sunscreen can more easily be washed off, sunburn can be a risk for flip-flop wearers.
[36] For many Latin Americans, la chancla (the flip-flop), held or thrown, is known to be used as a tool of corporal punishment by mothers, similar to the use of slippers for the same purpose in Europe.
For many children, even the threat of the mother reaching down to take off a flip-flop and hold it in her raised hand is considered enough to correct their behaviour.
[8] Flip-flops are "tsinelas" in the Philippines, derived from the Spanish "chinela" (for slipper), and are used to discipline children, but with no mention of throwing.
[7] When the Los Angeles–based Angel City FC and San Diego Wave FC joined the National Women's Soccer League in 2022, a leader in an Angel City supporters' group called the new regional rivalry La Chanclásico as a nod to the region's Hispanic heritage.
