Flip Flops

Flip-flops are simple shoes. They have a flat base and a y-shaped strap that begins between your big and second toe then passes over both sides of your feet to secure your foot to the shoe. When you walk in them, the base flops around the bottom of your foot, creating a little flip sound, hence, the common name. For all their simplicity, they are a must-have item for your swim bag.

A young Goldie Hawn! Image via Heddels, link in text to the right.

According to Wikipedia, they have been worn by people in some form since at least 1300 B.C.; I imagine for much longer. They were popularized in the United States when soldiers brought zori home from Japan after World War II. They become especially popular in the 1960s and quickly became associated with the beach and surfing lifestyle of Southern California. Here’s a great post on their history from Heddels, and I’m sharing a few of the pics they have posted (they are so good!).

Image via Heddels, link in text above.

I have always had a pair of lip flops in my swim bag. My current pair, from Haviana’s, have lasted at least ten years so far, and will probably last another decade unless I decide a fresh pair is in order. Their tread has finally started to wear down, but not enough for a new pair right now.

My Haviana’s and some kiddo flips.

The one day I forgot flip-flops.

Flip-flops are essentially there to protect your feet from locker room buggies as well as the deck of the pool. In the locker room, they keep your feet safe from the floor, and on deck they prevent your feet from burning on hot summer days. In the winter, they keep your feet away from cold, and are good to-and-fro shoes from home to pool. The fact that they don’t get damaged from water makes them indispensable.

This lady knows what to do. Image from Heddels, link in text above.