It’s hard enough to find out about footwear that has gotten more controversial than that lately custom flip flops. You might even think that it is ridiculous how a plain and easy pair of footwear can get everybody excited. Regardless, this article will try to give readers a summary of custom flip flops, how they came from, the best way to wear them, and eventually, where you can purchase the best custom flip flops online.
Custom Flip Flops: What Are They?
Custom flip-flops are a sort of footwear that has no heels and only has a strap that covers the front of the foot. And it has a strap between the toes that extends from the only to the strap. The name of the flip flop is onomatopoeic, which refers to the way it sounds when you walk around with it
Some places like Australia simply call custom flip-flops flip-flops. Flip-flops are a classic beach wear that has been worn since the 1970s in the US.
Custom Flip Flops: A Brief History
Flip-flops are undoubtedly one of the oldest forms of footwear known to mankind. They are probably the most ubiquitous too. They are like the ‘onions’ in the footwear world as they can apparently be found on every continent in the world.
They are depicted as way back as historical Egypt in murals dating from 4,000 BC. A pair also found in Europe made of papyrus leaves is around 1,500 years old.
The British too had been making these fine shoes for a long time, but not that long.
In historical South America, flip-flops were produced from parts of the sisal plant. And in Asia, in countries like China and Japan, flip-flops are produced from rice straws. There is also evidence that early Mexicans used parts of the yucca plant to make flip-flops.
Custom Flip Flops: Flip Flops in the United States
Flip-flops were popularized in the US when soldiers returned from fighting in the Pacific during the Second World War. Japanese-made flip flops, called zōri, became a popular item for Americans that they do not want to leave behind when they return to American shores. But when custom flip flops really became popular it was in the 1950’s. This happened after the Korean War ended. At that time, wearing your special flip-flops in the bright colours that we are accustomed to today is a must.
During the 1960s, the custom flip flop became virtually synonymous with the kind of lifestyle in California that was considered relaxed. The early Beach Boys band sang about special flip-flops and slowly became a common swimming accessory, being sold together with goggles and swim trunks.
A decade and a half ago in 2005, the Northwestern University women’s lacrosse team, fresh from winning a championship, chose to wear custom flip-flops when they headed to the White House in a meeting with then-president George W. Bush. This incident has led to an incredible and controversial story. This results in the team ending up at an auction meant to raise money for charity: the auction item being custom flip-flops.
And in 2011, another big win for flip-flops came when the sitting president, President Barack Obama, was seen wearing flip-flops. The resulting coverage for custom flip flops then blows people’s heads off.
Custom Flip Flops: When to Wear Them
Before we begin, know that the rules we are about to discuss aren’t set and can change every now and then and from situation to situation. The advice of this article is not designed to be dogma but it can still be used as a guide intended to help you in your decision making.
As popular as custom flip-flops, no other type of footwear has received as much ridicule in modern times. We must ask ourselves how a pair of plain and reasonably comfy footwear got such an unfair reputation. We think that there are two main reasons for this which include dress culture in the US and men naturally do not want to see another man’s bare feet.
Custom Flip Flops: Dress Up Culture
This is not really a new development that Americans have perhaps worn more casually over the past 20 years. Many of us would normally complain about this and subscribe to the idea that the comfort we provide is of more value than good looks. It was as if the two important factors were mutually exclusive. Custom flip-flops became the scapegoat for this.
What started as easy beach wear has made its way onto the busy streets of America’s cities. During summer it is really common to walk the streets and pass by restaurants that have outdoor seating. You can see many men and girls wearing nothing but a thin piece of rubber flip-flops and special leather that protects the feet from the cruel bars of the subway. There are people who would find this look too casual would be against custom flip flops.
Custom Flip Flops: Conclusion
Custom flip flops have certainly become probably the most controversial forms of footwear in recent memory. The disdain that some hardliners have for modest footwear can sometimes include that they will ban it altogether even when the situation calls for it.
