Flip flops

The flip flop is a very basic form or sandal shoe. The most basic flip flops have a simple flat sole with two plastic, fabric or leather straps that extend from either side of the sole and meet a couple of inches in from the front of the sole at what is roughly the junction between the big toe and the second toe.

Flip flops have no uppers and are completely open, other than the straps. They are kept in contact with the feet by looping between the two toes and they flip and flop around during walking, hence their name.

Flip flop styles

One of the appeals of the flip flop is its simplicity, cheap price, ease of carrying around and the fact that it makes an ideal beach shoe. This is mainly because, without an upper of any sort, there is no where for sand to accumulate.

The simplest of flip flops will be a single colour and it will have a very thin sole. More elaborate flip flops can have thicker soles, sometimes even platform soles and they can come in various colours with prints and patterns.

As a generalisation, flip flops are always brightly coloured, mainly because of their association with the beach and summer.

Flip flops are ideal for use on the beach, in the back garden or for wondering around the grounds of a hotel or villa. Their lack of any upper, or the foot support that an upper provides, makes them less suitable for other activities.

Orthopedically the flip flop style shoe offers no support to any part of the foot. It does however have the advantage of allowing the feet to breath in a totally natural way and some argue that without any structural support the feet are encouraged to function in a more natural (unassisted) way.

Variations on the flip flop design

The basic flip flop sandal remains the biggest seller, however there are many subtle variations on the original design that can make the shoe a little bit more interesting to look at.

One popular feature is to add an extra detail like a fabric or rubber flower at the central junction of the two straps. Another is to replace the two side straps with a thicker band of material and then have a narrow toe strap extending forwards from them. Strictly speaking this type of sandal ceases to be a true flip flop.

The sole and inner sole are normally formed from a single piece of material, however it is possible to buy a flip flop where the inner part of the sole has been contoured to the sole of the foot. When this is the case the inner sole segment will be padded and this adds to comfort during walking, particularly on hard surfaces.

When it comes to cost the flip flop is the cheapest of sandals and this is its biggest selling point. Flip flops can also be packed flat or carried around in a beach bag. Many are waterproof and if they get damaged they are cheap to replace. They are also widely available at shoe stores, beach shops and surf shops.