Background information
This old-fashioned accessory is currently making a big comeback
by Stephanie Vinzens
Flip-flop fever: 5 facts about this trendy summer shoe
1.6.2023
Translation: Julia Graham
From ancient Egypt to the glamorous catwalks of today, flip-flops date back thousands of years and are now considered a fashion must-have.
At this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence walked the red carpet in a gorgeous couture gown by Dior. Diamonds shone on her neck, while her feet were festooned with bog-standard black flip-flops. She may have violated the event’s dress code with her choice of shoe – but not as an affront against good taste.
Source: Imago
Flip-flops have long since ceased to be reserved as bathroom and beach attire. They’re now also click-clacking across the world’s great catwalks. In particular, plain leather versions with thick soles are a must-have for summer. According to fashion search platform Stylight (site in German), demand for this type of footwear is up 23% this year. To celebrate the trend, here are five facts about this casual cult shoe.
Source: Spotlight
1. The onomatopoeic name
Ever wondered where the word flip-flop comes from? Just like the words buzz and woof-woof, it’s an example of onomatopoeia. Essentially, a linguistic expression that mimics the sound of the thing being described. In this case, the characteristic noise when the sole claps against the heel as you’re walking.
Although flip-flops have been around for much longer, the term only became established in American and British English in the 1960s. By now it’s the common word for this type of shoe in many countries. Nevertheless, there are variations even within the English-speaking world. In Australia, for example, they’re called thongs. In New Zealand, meanwhile, they’re jandals, short for Japanese sandals.
2. Worn for thousands of years
Wall paintings and sculptures from ancient Egypt indicate that the simple sandal with toe straps has been worn since about 4000 BC. The oldest existing pair of flip-flops we’re aware of is about 3,500 years old and made of papyrus and palm leaves. You can marvel at this historical artefact in London’s British Museum. Incidentally, the golden flip-flop-style sandals found on Tutankhamun’s mummy are almost as old.
However, the direct precursor to the modern flip-flop actually hails from another continent. It’s believed that US soldiers stationed in Japan after World War II brought home so-called zori, traditional Japanese thong sandals made of straw. Modern versions made of rubber then eventually became part of pool and beach culture in the 50s and 60s and gradually spread in the West.
Source: Spotlight
3. Click-clacking their way to several world records
Flip-flops appear several times in the Guinness Book of Records. Germany’s André Ortolf, for instance, has held the record for the fastest 100-metre sprint in flip-flops since 2018 with 13,88 seconds. Meanwhile, Australian Alistair Kealty even completed an entire marathon in such shoes in 2019. It took him 3 hours and 37 minutes. No one in comparable footwear has ever officially been faster. Flying the flag for Brits, Phillip Conroy set a world record in 2012 without even putting them on. He threw a flip-flop almost 40 metres.
4. There’s a National Flip-Flop Day
There are official days for croquettes, forward rolls, hammocks and even pickled cucumbers. So it comes as no surprise that there’s also a National Flip-Flop Day in the US. It was launched in 2007 by the US franchise Tropical Smoothie Café. It takes place on the Wednesday after Memorial Day in late May and is meant to usher in summer – and, of course, boost business. How does it work? They lure customers in with the promise that those who show up in flip-flops will get a free smoothie.
Source: Spotlight
5. The most expensive pair costs as much as a car
In 2011, the eco-friendly sandal company Chipkos teamed up with Californian artist David Palmer. The result was the most expensive flip-flop in the world. A hand-painted, one-of-a-kind model made of 18-carat gold, sold in a mahogany display case. Price: $18,000. This price tag also includes meeting the artist, two nights in an ecological hotel in Beverly Hills and – the crucial part – preserving over 9,000 square metres of endangered rainforest in Costa Rica. What these shoes would’ve set you back without all the related hoo-ha is anyone’s guess.
Header image: Chloé via Spotlight
Has endless love for shoulder pads, Stratocasters and sashimi, but a limited tolerance for bad impressions of her Eastern Swiss dialect.
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