Sandal

This article is about the type of footwear. For other uses, see Sandal (disambiguation).

"Sandals" redirects here. For the Caribbean luxury resorts operator, see Sandals Resorts.

Sandals for men made by Bata Shoes

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Yoga sandals

Sandals are an open type of outdoor footwear, consisting of a sole held to the wearer's foot by straps or thongs passing over the instep and around the ankle. While the distinction between sandals and other types of footwear can sometimes be blurry (as in the case of huaraches—the woven leather footwear seen in Mexico), the common understanding is that a sandal leaves most or all of the foot exposed. People may choose to wear sandals for several reasons, among them economy (sandals tend to require less material than shoes), comfort in warm weather, and as a fashion choice.

Usually, sandals are worn in warmer climates or during warmer parts of the year, because feet stay cool and dry. The chances of developing athlete's foot is lower than with enclosed shoes, and wearing sandals may be part of the treatment for such an infection.

History

Esparto sandals from the 6th or 5th millennium BC found in Spain.

The oldest known sandals (indeed, the oldest known footwear) were discovered in Fort Rock Cave in the U.S. state of Oregon; radiocarbon dating of the sagebrush bark from which they were woven indicates an age of at least 10,000 years.

The ancient Greeks distinguished between baxeae (sing. baxa), a sandal made of willow leaves, twigs, or fibres worn by comic actors and philosophers; and the cothurnus, a MBT boot sandal that rose above the middle of the leg, worn principally by tragic actors, horsemen, hunters, and by men of rank and authority. The sole of the latter was sometimes made much thicker than usual by the insertion of slices of cork, so as to add to the stature of the wearer.

The ancient Egyptians wore sandals made of palm-leaves and papyrus. They are sometimes observable on the feet of Egyptian statues. According to Herodotus, sandals of papyrus were a part of the required and characteristic dress of the Egyptian priests.

Construction

A sandal may have a sole made from rubber, leather, wood, tatami or rope. It may be held to the foot by a narrow thong that generally passes passing between the first and second toe, or by a strap or lace, variously called a latchet, sabot strap or sandal, that passes over the arch of the foot or around the ankle. A sandal may or may not have a heel (either low or high) and/or heel strap.

Variants

Walking in sandals

Among the many kinds of sandals are:

• Barefoot sandals are somewhat of a mis-nomer, referring to straps or jewelry such as anklets and toe rings that have no sole; barefoot sandals originated in South Asia and are popularly worn at religious festivities and events primarily for decoration rather than protection
• Caligae, a heavy-soled Roman military shoe or sandal worn by all ranks up to and including centurion
• Clog, a heavy sandal, having a thick, typically wooden sole
• Espadrilles, flat, usually having a fabric upper and a flexible sole, often of rope
• Fisherman Sandal is a type of T-bar sandal originally for men and boys. The toes are enclosed by a number of leather bands interwoven with the central length-wise strap. An adjustable cross strap or bar is fastened with a buckle. The heel may be fully enclosed or secured by a single strap joined to the cross strap. The style appears to have originated in France.
• flip-flop or thong, a rubber-soled footwear loosely fastened to the foot by means of a thong between the toes
• geta, a traditional Japanese form of elevated thong
• Grecian sandal, a sole attached to the foot by interlaced straps crossing the toes and instep, and fastening around the ankle
• Jelly sandals or Jelly shoes were originally a version of the classic fisherman sandal made in PVC plastic. They were invented in 1946 by Frenchman Jean Dauphant in response to a post-war leather shortage. Later designs featured translucent soft plastic in bright colours; hence the name of jelly sandals or jellies. Recently, a whole range of styles have been produced in this material, mainly for women and girls, but the classic unisex design remains popular.
• Jipsin, a traditional Korean sandals made of straw
• Patten, a type of oversized clog often with a wooden sole or metal device to elevate the foot and increase the wearer's height or aid in walking in mud
• Paduka are the ancient (as old as the time of the Ramayana) Indian toe-knob sandals. They are not really worn on a daily basis now except by monks or for ceremonial purposes.
• Roman sandal, a sandal held to the foot by a vamp composed of a series of equally-spaced buckled straps
• Saltwater sandals, a flat sandal developed in the 1940s as a way of coping with wartime leather shortages, primarily worn by children
• Soft Foam Sandals, invented in 1973, made from closed cell soft foam and uses surgical tubing for the straps. Sold primarily along the Texas Gulf Coast in beach side gift shops.
• T-Bar Sandals, primarily for children, with an enclosed heel and toe. It is fastened by a cross-wise strap or bar secured by a buckle or more recently, by Velcro. A length-wise strap extends from the vamp and joins the cross-strap over the arch of the foot to form a T shape. A common variant has two cross-straps. The toe is often pierced with a pattern of holes or slots. The sole is low-heeled and usually of crepe rubber, stitched-down to the upper. First seen in Europe and America in the early 1900s, by the 1950s they were very common for boys and girls up to their teens, but are now mainly worn by much younger children.
• zōri, a flat and thonged Japanese sandal, usually made of straw, cloth, leather, or rubber.

See also

• Slipper
• Birkenstock
• Mules

References

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1870). "Baxeae". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities. London: John Murray.
•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Peck, Harry Thurston, ed. (1898). Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities. New York: Harper & Brothers. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)