Editing Flip-flops (section)

==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=http://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>