Slide (footwear)

A pair of Adidas Duranomo slides, popular to wear with socks

A slider is a form of footwear. They are backless and open-toed, essentially an open-toed mule. Slides can be high-heeled, flat-heeled or somewhere in between, and may cover nearly the entire foot from ankle to toe, or may have only one or two narrow straps. They usually include a single strap or a sequence of straps across the toes and the lower half of the foot to hold the shoe on the foot. The term is descriptive in that this shoe is easy to 'slide' on and off the foot when the wearer wants to do so. Slides do not have a “Y” shaped strap, like the flip flop. Slides are currently trending because of the desire for a more comfortable shoe that still allows participation in activities and sports.

History

Slides can be traced back to Ancient Rome. Though they are often thought to come from as far back as Ancient Egypt or Ancient Greece, there is a lack of documentation to further prove that. The popularity of slides in the United States started in the late 1960s, when vibrant, colorful aesthetics, such as cheery flower motifs, were followed. Across the world in Germany the brand Birkenstock created the first fitness slide, a simple design made from contoured cork with a single buckled leather strap. Another German company, Adidas invented the well-known Adilette pool slide.

Use

Slides are well known for their sporty look because of the impact Adidas has left. They are very functional so they are great for casual outfits. For example going out to the beach, walking in parks, summer barbecues. However, high fashion designers such as Prada, Gucci, Burberry, and Marc Jacobs have included them in their collection. The different designs and ideas that come from the designers are including everything imaginable. Things from feathers to floral to faux fur and regal pearls are being attached or used as the main design behind slides.