Editing Flip-flops (section)

==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>