View source for Flip-flops

{{Short description|Type of sandal}}
{{Other uses|Flip-flop (disambiguation){{!}}Flip-flop}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
[[File:Flip flops.jpg|thumb|Flip flops on feet being worn]]
'''Flip-flops''' are a type of light [[sandal|sandal-like]] shoe, typically worn as a form of casual footwear. They consist of a flat sole held loosely on the foot by a Y-shaped strap known as a toe thong that passes between the first and second toes and around both sides of the foot. This style of footwear has been worn by people of many cultures throughout the world, originating as early as the [[ancient Egypt]]ians in 1500 BC. 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.

Flip-flops became a prominent unisex summer footwear starting in the 1960s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fr33earth.com/how-and-when-flip-flops-became-popular-unisex-footwear|access-date=19 February 2018|title=How and When Flip Flops Become A Popular Unisex Summer Footwear|date=15 March 2017|publisher=Free Earth|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190821202425/https://www.fr33earth.com/how-and-when-flip-flops-became-popular-unisex-footwear/|archive-date=21 August 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Etymology and other names==
[[File:Two-pluggers.jpg|thumb|Double-pluggers]]
The term ''flip-flop'' has been used in [[American English|American]] and [[British English]] since the 1960s to describe inexpensive footwear consisting of a flat base, typically rubber, and a strap with three anchor points: between the big and second toes, then bifurcating to anchor on both sides of the foot. "Flip-flop" may be an [[onomatopoeia]] of the sound made by the sandals when walking in them.<ref name="etymology_dictionary">{{cite web|title=Flip-Flop|url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=flip-flop|publisher=Online Etymology Dictionary|access-date=18 July 2012}}</ref>

Flip-flops are also called ''thongs'' (sometimes ''pluggers'',<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2016/01/australian-men-out-drinking-stop-thieves-after-robbery-interview-video|title=Australian Guys Out Drinking Accidentally Come Across Robbery, Stop Thieves|website=Complex}}</ref> ''single-'' or ''double-'' depending on construction) in Australia,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/society-and-culture/its-time-to-put-our-foot-down-on-thongs-20111029-1mp20.html|title=IT Pro - Information Technology News & Reviews|date=29 October 2011 }}</ref> ''jandals'' (originally a trademarked name derived from "Japanese sandals") in New Zealand,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nzhistory.govt.nz/timeline/04/10|access-date=22 February 2017|title=Morris Yock trademarks the jandal|date=4 October 1957|publisher=New Zealand History}}</ref> and ''slops'' or ''plakkies'' in South Africa and Zimbabwe.<ref name="Key_AJ">{{cite web|last=Key|first=A.J.|title=Jandals, Thongs, Flip Flops & G-strings|url=http://www.biggie.co.nz/article/jandals_thongs_flip|access-date=18 July 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120621062559/http://www.biggie.co.nz/article/jandals_thongs_flip|archive-date=21 June 2012}}</ref>

In the Philippines, they are called ''tsinelas''.<ref name=tsinelas/>

In India, they are called ''chappals'', (which traditionally referred to leather slippers).<ref name=Mangalore/> This is hypothesized to have come from the [[Telugu (language)|Telugu]] word ''ceppu'' ([https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/చెప్పు#Telugu చెప్పు]), from Proto-Dravidian *keruppu,<ref>Burrow, T.; Emeneau, M. B. (1984). [https://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/app/burrow_query.py?qs=ceruppu ceruppu], in ''A Dravidian etymological dictionary'', 2nd edition, Oxford University Press (ISBN 0198643268), p. 178.</ref><ref>[[Bhadriraju Krishnamurti|Krishnamurti, Bhadriraju]] (2003). The Dravidian Languages (Cambridge Language Surveys), Cambridge University Press (ISBN 9780521771115), p. 526.</ref> meaning "sandal".

In some parts of Latin America, flip-flops are called ''chanclas''.<ref name=ChanclaDiscipline/> Throughout the world, they are also known by a variety of other names, including ''slippers'' in the [[Bahamas]], [[Hawai‘i]], [[Jamaica]] and [[Trinidad and Tobago]].{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}

Flip-flops are closely associated with Japan in many [[Slavic languages]]. They are called ''japonke'' in Slovene<ref name="sskj">{{cite web|title=Japonka |url=https://fran.si/133/sskj2-slovar-slovenskega-knjiznega-jezika-2/4482901/japonka|publisher=Slovar slovenskega knjižnega jezika (SSKJ²), Inštitut za slovenski jezik Frana Ramovša ZRC SAZU|access-date=26 October 2025|language=sl}}</ref> and ''japanke'' in Croatian,<ref name="mreznik">{{cite web|title=Japanka|url=https://rjecnik.hr/mreznik/japanka/|publisher=Hrvatski mrežni rječnik – Mrežnik, Institut za hrvatski jezik i jezikoslovlje|language=hr|access-date=26 October 2025}}</ref> with both terms also referring to a woman of Japanese nationality. The same applies to Polish, Serbian, and other similar instances.<ref name="japanobjects">{{cite web|title=12 Things You Need to Know About Japanese Sandals|url=https://shop.japanobjects.com/blogs/editorial/japanese-sandals?srsltid=AfmBOopPM_329MU4QSUou9awi_FW7YpmaZSLuIqmcCnsKEzN-Jnid7FZ|publisher=© 2025 Japan Objects Store|date=9 May 2021|access-date=26 October 2025|author=Zoria Petkoska}}</ref> In Greek, they are called ''σαγιονάρες''("sayonares"), with a singular flip-flop; called ''σαγιονάρα''("sayonara").<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dictionary of Standard Modern Greek |url=https://www.greek-language.gr/greekLang/modern_greek/tools/lexica/triantafyllides/search.html?lq=%CF%83%CE%B1%CE%B3%CE%B9%CE%BF%CE%BD%CE%AC%CF%81%CE%B1 |access-date=2025-11-05 |website=www.greek-language.gr}}</ref> However, this is not true for all such languages. In Russian, the word for flip-flop contains no reference to Japan; instead, it is [[:ru:Вьетнамки|''vietnamki'']], which literally means "Vietnamese".

==History==
[[File:Egyptian - Pair of Leather Sandals - Walters 73110.jpg|right|thumb|Pair of leather thong ancient sandals from the [[New Kingdom of Egypt]] ({{Circa|1550}}–1307 BC)]]
[[File:Granada Relocation Center, Amache, Colorado. Zori (straw sandals) and Geta (wooden clogs) made at G . . . - NARA - 539914.jpg|thumb|Zori (straw sandals) and Geta (wooden clogs) belonging to [[Internment of Japanese Americans|interned Japanese]] in the United States (1946), direct antecedents of modern-day flip-flops.]]
Thong sandals have been worn for thousands of years, as shown in images of them in [[ancient Egypt]]ian murals from 4,000 BC. A pair found in [[Europe]] was made of [[papyrus]] leaves and [[Carbon dating|dated]] to be approximately 1,500 years old. These early versions of flip-flops were made from a wide variety of materials. Ancient Egyptian sandals were made from papyrus and palm leaves. The [[Maasai people]] of [[Africa]] made them out of [[Rawhide (textile)|rawhide]]. In [[India]], they were made from [[wood]]. In [[China]] and [[Japan]], [[rice|rice straw]] was used. The leaves of the [[sisal]] plant were used to make [[twine]] for sandals in [[South America]], while the natives of [[Mexico]] used the [[yucca]] plant.<ref name="Curtin_Cameron">{{cite book |last=Kippen |first=Cameron |title=The History of Footwear |year=1999|publisher=Department of Podiatry, Curtin University of Technology|location=[[Perth]], [[Australia]]}}</ref>

The [[Ancient Greece|ancient Greeks]] and [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] wore versions of flip-flops as well. In Greek sandals, the toe strap was worn between the first and second toes, while Roman sandals had the strap between the second and third toes. These differ from the sandals worn by the [[Mesopotamia]]ns, with the strap between the third and fourth toes. In [[India]], a related "toe knob" sandal was common, with no straps but instead a small knob located between the first and second toes. They are known as [[Paduka]]s.<ref name="DeMello_Margo">{{cite book|last=DeMello|first=Margo|title=Feet and Footwear: A Cultural Encyclopedia |year=2009 |publisher=ABC-CLIO, LLC|location=[[Santa Barbara, California]]|isbn=978-0-313-35714-5|pages=130–131|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5QdKSxajwP0C&pg=PA131}}</ref>

The modern flip-flop became popular in the [[United States]] as soldiers returning from [[World War II]] brought Japanese [[zōri]] with them. It caught on in the 1950s during the [[Post–World War II economic expansion|postwar boom]] and after the end of hostilities of the [[Korean War]]. As they became adopted into American popular culture, the sandals were redesigned and made in the bright colors that dominated 1950s design. They quickly became popular due to their convenience and comfort, and were popular in beach-themed stores and as summer shoes. During the 1960s, flip-flops became firmly associated with the beach lifestyle of [[California]]. As such, they were promoted as primarily a [[casual attire|casual]] accessory, typically worn with [[shorts]], [[bathing suit]]s, or summer dresses. When they became more popular, some people started wearing them for dressier or more formal occasions.<ref name="DeMello_Margo"/>

[[File:Flip fop vending machine.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Havaianas]] thong (flip-flop) vending machine in Sydney, Australia]]
In 1962, [[Alpargatas S.A.]] marketed a version of flip-flops known as [[Havaianas]] in Brazil. By 2010, more than 150 million pairs of Havaianas were produced each year.<ref name="Cain_Kathryn">{{cite news|last=Cain|first=Kathryn|title=The Timeline: Flip-flops|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/features/the-timeline-flipflops-2039012.html|access-date=19 July 2012|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|date=30 July 2010}}</ref> By 2019, production tops 200 million pairs per year. Prices range from under $5 for basics to more than $50 for high-end fashion models.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blog.iuiga.com/2019/02/28/flip-flop-markups/ |title=Am I paying too much for flip-flops? |last=Koh |first=Joel |date=28 February 2019 |website= |access-date=21 February 2023}}</ref>

Flip-flops quickly became popular as casual footwear for young adults. Girls would often decorate their flip-flops with metallic finishes, charms, chains, beads, [[rhinestones]], or other jewelry.<ref name="Peterson_Kellogg">{{cite book|author1=Peterson, Amy T.|author2=Kellogg, Ann T.|title=The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Clothing Through American History 1900 to the Present|year=2008|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|location=[[Westport, Connecticut]]|isbn=978-0-313-35855-5|page=372|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rQCEF-tG77AC&pg=RA1-PA372}}{{Dead link|date=October 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Modern flip-flops are available in leather, suede, cloth or synthetic materials such as plastic. Platform and high-heeled variants of the sandals began to appear in the 1990s,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.insider.com/heels-each-year-2018-8#1991-everyone-was-wearing-giant-platform-sandals-31|title=What high heels looked like the year you were born|author=Jessica Booth|date=28 August 2018|publisher=Insider}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/trends/a27148660/steve-madden-90s-platform-flip-flops/|title=Steve Madden Is Trying to Make Its '90s Platform Flip Flops Happen Again|author=Lauren Alexis Fisher|date=15 April 2019|publisher=Harper's Bazaar}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vogue.com/article/thong-heels-spring-fashion-sandals?verso=true|title=Thong Heels—Spring's Sexiest Sandals—Are Back|author=Liana Satenstein|date=26 March 2018|publisher=Vogue}}</ref> and in the late 2010s, [[kitten heel]]ed "kit-flops".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/fashion/shows-trends/a28034657/kit-flops-trend/|title=Introducing the kit-flop: this summer's favourite sandal|author=Jessica Davis|date=2019-07-01 |df=dmy-all|publisher=[[Harper's Bazaar]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/business-money/technology/article/kitten-heels-give-a-stylish-lift-to-the-flip-flop-fwm9xjcb2|title=Kitten heels give a stylish lift to the flip-flop|author=Hannah Rogers|date=2020-08-22 |df=dmy-all|work=The Times}}</ref>

In the U.S., flip-flops with college colors and logos became common for fans to wear to intercollegiate games.<ref name="Ward_Julie">{{cite news|last=Ward|first=Julie|title=Next big step in team spirit: Flip-flops|url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/2005-09-13-flip-flops_x.htm|access-date=19 July 2012|newspaper=[[USA Today]]|date=13 September 2005}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Obama_flipflop">{{cite news|title=Appropriate? Obama Becomes First Flip-Flop President|url=http://nation.foxnews.com/culture/2011/01/05/appropriate-obama-becomes-first-flip-flop-president|access-date=19 July 2012|newspaper=[[Fox News]]|date=5 January 2011|archive-date=18 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130718090821/http://nation.foxnews.com/culture/2011/01/05/appropriate-obama-becomes-first-flip-flop-president|url-status=dead}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Lister_Richard">{{cite news|last=Lister|first=Richard|title=Flip-flop diplomacy with the Dalai Lama|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8523248.stm|access-date=19 July 2012|newspaper=[[BBC News]] |date=19 February 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Dalai Lama Meets With Obama |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703315004575073133355132918 |access-date=19 July 2012|newspaper=[[Wall Street Journal]]|date=18 February 2010|author1=Weisman, Jonathan |author2=Canaves, Skye}}</ref>

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. Furthermore, sales of flip-flops exceeded those of [[Sneakers (footwear)|sneakers]] for the first time in 2006. If these figures are accurate, it is remarkable considering the low cost of most flip-flops.<ref name="Bernhard_Blythe">{{cite news|last=Bernhard|first=Blythe|title=Flips-flops are bad for your sole |url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/2009356815_flipflophealth19.html|access-date=19 July 2012|newspaper=[[Seattle Times]]|date=18 June 2009|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130130071212/http://seattletimes.com/html/health/2009356815_flipflophealth19.html|archive-date=30 January 2013}}</ref>

==Design and custom==
[[File:Anatomy of Sandals.svg|right|thumb|Parts of a flip-flop sandal]]

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. Flip-flops are made from a wide variety of materials, as were the ancient thong sandals. The modern sandals are made of more modern materials, such as [[rubber]], [[foam]], [[plastic]], leather, [[suede]], and even fabric.<ref name="DeMello_Margo"/> Flip-flops made of [[polyurethane]] have caused some environmental concerns; because polyurethane is a [[Resin identification code|number 7 resin]], they can't be easily discarded, and they persist in [[landfill]]s for a very long time.<ref name="Bloch_Michael">{{cite web|last=Bloch|first=Michael|title=Recycling Flip-Flops|date=22 May 2008 |url=http://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/227/1/Recycling-flip-flops.html|publisher=Green Living Tips|access-date=19 July 2012}}</ref> In response to these concerns, some companies have begun selling flip-flops made from recycled rubber, such as that from used bicycle tires, or even [[hemp]],<ref name="Vasil_Adria">{{cite book|last=Vasil|first=Adria|title=Ecoholic: Your Guide to the Most Environmentally Friendly Information, Products and Services In Canada|year=2007|publisher=Random House Canada|location=[[Toronto]]|isbn=978-0-307-36613-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tGdK6DSQPUEC&pg=PT83}}</ref> and some offer a recycling program for used flip flops.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.terracycle.com/en-US/brigades/oldnavy.html|website=terracycle.com|title=Flip-Flop Brigade|access-date=31 May 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518100516/http://www.terracycle.com/en-US/brigades/oldnavy.html|archive-date=18 May 2015}}</ref>

[[File:Gyoda Tabi 2020-11 ac (1).jpg|thumb|Japanese ''tabi'' socks, traditionally white or black, to be worn with ''zōri'' sandals]]

Because of the strap between the toes, flip-flops are typically not [[socks and sandals|worn with]] [[sock]]s. In colder weather, however, some people wear flip-flops with [[toe socks]] or merely pull standard socks forward and bunch them up between the toes. The Japanese commonly wear ''[[tabi]]'', a type of sock with a single slot for the thong, with their ''[[zōri]]''.<ref name="Sosnoski">{{cite book|last=Sosnoski|first=Daniel|title=Introduction to Japanese Culture|year=2014|publisher=Charles E. Tuttle Publishing Company|location=Boston, Massachusetts|isbn=978-4805313138|page=|url=}}</ref>

==Health issues==
Flip-flops provide the wearer with some mild protection from hazards on the ground, such as sharp rocks, splintery wooden surfaces, hot sand at the beach, broken glass, or even [[fungi]] and [[wart]]-causing viruses in locker rooms or community pool surfaces.<ref name="Marina">{{cite news|last=Csomor|first=Marina|title=Flip-flops present feet with a painful problem|url=http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/18/health/flip-flops-hurting-feet/index.html|access-date=19 July 2012|newspaper=[[CNN]]|date=18 July 2012}}</ref> However, walking for long periods in flip-flops can result in pain in the feet, ankles and lower legs<ref name="Kam">{{cite web|last1=Kam|first1=Katherine|title=Flip-Flops Fun but Beware of Foot Pain|url=http://www.webmd.com/beauty/features/flip-flops-fun-but-not-great-for-feet#1|website=WebMD|access-date=20 January 2017}}</ref> or tendonitis.<ref name="click2houston">{{cite news|title=Doctors Warn About Flip-Flops|url=http://www.click2houston.com/lifestyle/health/Doctors-Warn-About-Flip-Flops/-/2597500/2832894/-/12b55xjz/-/index.html|publisher=Click2Houston.com|access-date=19 July 2012|date=10 October 2011|archive-date=18 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121118050858/http://www.click2houston.com/lifestyle/health/Doctors-Warn-About-Flip-Flops/-/2597500/2832894/-/12b55xjz/-/index.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The flip-flop straps may cause frictional issues, such as rubbing during walking, resulting in blisters,<ref name="Watson">{{cite news|last=Watson|first=Nicole|title=Study: Comfortable flip-flops causing painful health risks|url=http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/health/study-comfortable-flip-flops-causing-painful-health-risks|access-date=19 July 2012|newspaper=[[WFTS-TV|ABC Action News]]|date=18 July 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120814051315/http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/health/study-comfortable-flip-flops-causing-painful-health-risks|archive-date=14 August 2012}}</ref> and the open-toed design may result in stubbed or even broken toes.<ref name="Watson"/>

Individuals with [[flat feet]] or other foot issues are advised to wear a shoe or sandal with better support.<ref name="Willingham">{{cite news|last=Willingham|first=Val|title=Flip-flops aren't always easy on the feet |url=http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/08/06/health.concern.flip.flops/index.html |access-date=19 July 2012|newspaper=[[CNN]]|date=6 August 2010}}</ref>

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.<ref name="Willingham"/> There are reports of people who ran or jumped in flip-flops and suffered sprained ankles, fractures, and severe ligament injuries that required surgery.<ref name="Kam"/>

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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/health/health-news/are-your-thongs-a-health-hazardr/news-story/1500cdebb4287acc46612feeead679fd|title=Are your thongs a health hazard?}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
For many [[Latin Americans]], ''la chancla'' (in Spanish) or ''o chinelo'' (in Portuguese) (= 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. Poor conduct in public may elicit being struck on the head with a flip-flop. The flip-flop may also be thrown at a misbehaving child. 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.<ref name=ChanclaDiscipline/> The notoriety of the practice has become an [[Internet meme]] among Latin Americans and [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic and Latino immigrants to the United States]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSicdnahJ7o |title=The Secret of La Chancla |last=Rios III |first=Antonio |date= 5 March 2013 |website=YouTube |access-date=19 February 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2014/11/04/361205792/la-chancla-flip-flops-as-a-tool-of-discipline |title='La Chancla': Flip Flops As A Tool of Discipline |last=Vidal |first=Juan |date= 4 November 2014 |website=NPR |access-date=19 February 2023}}</ref> In recent years, the practice has been increasingly condemned as [[physically abusive]]. One essay, "The Meaning of Chancla: Flip Flops and Discipline", seeks to end "chancla culture" in disciplining children.<ref name=ChanclaDiscipline>{{cite web |url=https://www.spanish.academy/blog/the-meaning-of-chancla-flip-flops-and-discipline/ |title=The Meaning of Chancla: Flip Flops and Discipline |last=Dominguez |first= Luis F. |date= 6 April 2021 |website=Spanish Academy |access-date=19 February 2023}}</ref> The term "avaiana de pau" ({{Langx|en|wooden flip-flop}}, named like [[wooden spoon]]),<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Aragão |first=Milena |date=2020-04-02 |title=OS MEMES DE HUMOR E A NATURALIZAÇÃO DA VIOLÊNCIA COMO CAMINHO EDUCATIVO |url=https://periodicosgrupotiradentes.emnuvens.com.br/educacao/article/view/4496 |journal=Interfaces Científicas - Educação |language=pt |volume=8 |issue=3 |pages=129–144 |doi=10.17564/2316-3828.2020v8n3p129-144 |issn=2316-3828|doi-access=free }}</ref> has become a popular [[meme]] in [[Brazil]]ian internet [[Culture of Brazil|culture]], often used to depict exaggerated or humorous scenarios of the mother scolding her son.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-04-08 |title=7 memes antiquíssimos que vão te fazer rir até hoje |url=https://www.techtudo.com.br/listas/2023/04/7-memes-antiquissimos-que-vao-te-fazer-rir-ate-hoje-edsoftwares.ghtml |access-date=2024-12-19 |website=TechTudo |language=pt-br}}</ref> This term gained notoriety through videos and memes created by the Piologo brothers in 2004,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-10-24 |title=Humorística "Fábrica de Quadrinhos" não terá de indenizar por ... |url=https://www.migalhas.com.br/quentes/267835/humoristica--fabrica-de-quadrinhos--nao-tera-de-indenizar-por-conteudo-supostamente-ofensivo |access-date=2024-12-19 |website=Migalhas |language=pt-br}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2007-07-04 |title=Mundo Canibal eleito melhor site de quadrinhos no HQ MIX |url=http://www.jornaldamidia.com.br/noticias/2007/07/04/Caia_na_Rede/Mundo_Canibal_eleito_melhor_site_.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130101112813/http://www.jornaldamidia.com.br/noticias/2007/07/04/Caia_na_Rede/Mundo_Canibal_eleito_melhor_site_.shtml |archive-date=1 January 2013 |work=Jornal da Mídia |access-date=19 December 2024 }}</ref> who used it for comedic effect.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Kogawa |first=João Marcos Mateus |date=2012-06-08 |title=Ecos do horror no humor: reflexões a respeito da noção de intericonicidade |url=https://dialnet.unirioja.es/descarga/articulo/5762297.pdf |journal=Estudos Semióticos |language=pt |volume=8 |issue=1 |pages=53–65 |doi=10.11606/issn.1980-4016.esse.2012.49365 |issn=1980-4016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Oliveira |first=Érico Fernando de |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qF49EAAAQBAJ&dq=%22avaiana+de+pau%22&pg=PT4 |title=ELES MATAM CELEBRIDADES: A (des)construção das celebridades na série de TV South Park |date=2021-08-13 |publisher=Estação das Letras e Cores Editora |isbn=978-65-86088-25-0 |language=pt-BR}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Tigre |first=Rodrigo |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hD5NEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22avaianas+de+pau%22&pg=PT7 |title=Podcast S/A: Uma revolução em alto e bom som |date=2021-11-27 |publisher=Companhia Editora Nacional |isbn=978-65-5881-068-1 |language=pt-BR}}</ref>

In India, a chappal is traditionally a leather slipper, but the term has also come to include flip-flops. A mother's corporal punishment was often with a chappal, striking the child on the buttocks, hands or about the head and shoulders.<ref name=Mangalore>{{cite web |url=https://www.mangaloretoday.com/today/-Chappal-meaning-in-India-on-Google-search-shows-device-used-by-Indian-parents-to-reshape-their-kids.html |title='Chappal meaning in India'on Google search shows device used by Indian parents to reshape their kids |last= |first= |date= 8 August 2020|website=Mangalore Today |access-date=19 February 2023}}</ref> Throwing a chappal became a video trope, "flying chappal," and "Flying chappal received" an expression by an adult acknowledging that they had been verbally chastised by their parents or other adults.<ref name=Mangalore/>

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. Children play [[Tumbang preso]], which involves trying to knock over a can with thrown flip-flops.<ref name=tsinelas>{{cite web |url=http://thingsasian.com/story/tsinelas |title=Tsinelas! |last=de Jong |first=Ronald |date= 3 September 2013|website=ThinsAsian |access-date=19 February 2023}}</ref>

When the Los Angeles–based [[Angel City FC]] and [[San Diego Wave FC]] joined the [[National Women's Soccer League]] in [[2022 National Women's Soccer League season|2022]], a leader in an Angel City supporters' group called the new [[Southern California|regional]] rivalry ''La Chanclásico'' as a nod to the region's Hispanic heritage. The rivalry name combines ''chancla'' with ''clásico'' ("classic"), used in Spanish to describe many sports rivalries. The ''Chanclásico'' name quickly caught on with both fanbases, and before the first game between the teams, the aforementioned Angel City supporter created a rivalry trophy consisting of a flip-flop mounted on a trophy base and covered with gold spray paint. The rivalry name was effectively codified via a tweet from Wave and [[United States women's national soccer team|US national team]] star [[Alex Morgan]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thestriker.com/2022/07/13/chanclasico-rivalry-trophy-angel-city-san-diego-wave |title=The story behind the latest rivalry in Southern California and its trophy |first=Joey |last=Balleweg |work=The Striker |date=July 14, 2022 |access-date=May 22, 2023}}</ref>

As part of [[Q150]] celebrations in 2009 celebrating the first 150 years of Queensland, Australia, the [[Queensland Government]] published a list of 150 cultural icons of Queensland, representing the people, places, events, and things that were significant to [[Queensland]]'s first 150 years. Thongs (as they are known in Australia) were among as the [[List of Queensland's Q150 Icons|Q150 Icons]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bligh |first=Anna |author-link=Anna Bligh |date=10 June 2009 |title=PREMIER UNVEILS QUEENSLAND'S 150 ICONS |url=http://statements.qld.gov.au/statement/id/64301 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170524033717/http://statements.qld.gov.au/statement/id/64301 |archive-date=24 May 2017 |access-date=24 May 2017 |publisher=[[Queensland Government]]}}</ref>

Flip-flops (known in New Zealand as jandals) are considered [[Kiwiana]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pickles |first=Katie |date=2020-12-31 |title=Kiwiana is past its use-by date. Is it time to re-imagine our symbols of national identity? |url=https://theconversation.com/kiwiana-is-past-its-use-by-date-is-it-time-to-re-imagine-our-symbols-of-national-identity-149967 |access-date=2024-12-15 |website=The Conversation |language=en-US}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of shoe styles]]
* [[Hnyat-phanat]] (Burmese)
* [[Sandal]]
* [[Slide (footwear)]]
* [[Slipper]]
* [[Slippering]] (corporal punishment)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links |Flip-flops |commons=Category: Flip-flops (footwear) |display=Flip-flops}}

{{Footwear}}
{{Clothing}}

[[Category:2nd-millennium BC introductions]]
[[Category:Sandals]]
[[Category:1960s fashion]]
[[Category:1970s fashion]]
[[Category:1980s fashion]]
[[Category:1990s fashion]]
[[Category:2000s fashion]]
[[Category:2010s fashion]]
[[Category:2020s fashion]]
[[Category:Australian fashion]]
[[Category:Australian clothing]]
[[Category:Shoes]]
[[Category:Egyptian inventions]]
[[Category:Japanese fashion]]
[[Category:Japanese clothing]]
[[Category:Kiwiana]]