# I'm a Flip-Flop Freak. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 25, 2005, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-flip-flop-freak/305390 "2005-05-25T04:02:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Batsinma\_Belfry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@Batsinma\_Belfry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batsinma_Belfry)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-flip-flop-freak/305390/1 "2005-05-25T04:02:44Z")
Every Spring, I tell myself, “no more flip-flops”. Then, as the weather gets hotter, and they start overtaking the shoe aisles… they tempt me with their bright colored straps, and cheap price tags. It doesn’t matter that I don’t have anything that matches that particular shade of orange, they’re only $4.99! Not just any flip-flop will satisfy me. They can’t have plastic or rubber straps. The part that goes between the toes has to be skinny. And, they have to have a low price. Lastyear, I got distracted from the flip-flops, when those [Chinese Mesh Slippers](http://www.elchinitoshoes.com/chbemesl1.html) started popping up allover the place. But the slippers flipped and flopped right off my feet when I tried to walk. So, now I’m back to my beloved flip-flops. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-flip-flop-freak/305390/2 "2005-05-25T04:07:41Z")
Zoris are quite useful when you don’t want to be arsed to put on shoes, and it’s too warm for slippers. My zoris are the traditional style. Black bottoms and strap, white ‘insole’. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-flip-flop-freak/305390/3 "2005-05-25T04:23:26Z")
I paid $20 for my Teva flipflops that I wear every single day. Even in the winter. I’ve had them more than a year and aren’t falling apart, yet (although the tread is rather worn). Best $20 spent ever! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-flip-flop-freak/305390/4 "2005-05-25T04:33:00Z")
Do Tevas count? I have a pair of them, too. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-flip-flop-freak/305390/5 "2005-05-25T04:53:00Z")
I meant a pair like [this](http://www.teva.com/Apparel_Detail.asp?dept_id=1&sku=6109&sc=all&g=women) in particular. I’ve got a positively ancient pair of Hurricanes; I think my mom bought them for me ca. 1997. And I still wear those, too. And I am rough on my shoes. ---
**Author:** ![Campion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@Campion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Campion)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-flip-flop-freak/305390/6 "2005-05-25T04:54:28Z")
Last time I checked, I had six pairs of flip flops. My favorite pair are a red and white checkered set, like a picnic tablecloth, with a stream of ants printed crawling across them. Yay, summer! ---
**Author:** ![Batsinma\_Belfry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@Batsinma\_Belfry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batsinma_Belfry)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-flip-flop-freak/305390/7 "2005-05-25T05:25:00Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > Do Tevas count? I have a pair of them, too. I have a pair that I love. But I consider anything over $10 to be sandals. I have to tell myself this. Otherwise, I’d be buying Tevas in every color they make. ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-flip-flop-freak/305390/8 "2005-05-25T11:57:57Z")
I can’t wear most flip-flops. The little post hurts my toes. I do have a pair of platform flip-flips with a softer strip of material, instead of a post, and they’re much more comfortable. For some reason, the plastic-post kind are much easier to find than the ones I can wear. One of my aunts owns at least twenty pairs of flip-flops, in many different colors. Some have beads and such. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-flip-flop-freak/305390/9 "2005-05-25T12:05:03Z")
I have replaced my flip flops with [Tiddies](http://www.tiddiesforever.com/). they are more expensive, but I just bought my first new pair in 3 years. I wear them summer and winter as slippers. They never fall off. And they’re as soft as… well… you can figure it out. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-flip-flop-freak/305390/10 "2005-05-25T12:18:53Z")
Okabashis. Perfect slippers/house shoes. ---
**Author:** ![coop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/87869e/32.png) [@coop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coop)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-flip-flop-freak/305390/11 "2005-05-25T13:15:00Z")
Why does America insist on corrupting a perfectly good name for this style of [footwear?](http://hotproducts.alibaba.com/manufacturers-exporters/Thongs.html)😕 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-flip-flop-freak/305390/12 "2005-05-25T13:22:24Z")
> [@hillbilly queen](#): > > I have a pair that I love. But I consider anything over $10 to be sandals. I have to tell myself this. Otherwise, I’d be buying Tevas in every color they make. For me, it isn’t the price but the design. My Tevas are sandals. My zoris are zoris. Tevas aren’t ‘flip flops’ because they neither flip nor flop. Zoris are ‘flip-flops’ because they do. A flip-flop is a sandal, but a sandal isn’t necessarily a flip-flop. By the way, how many names are there for these footwear? I grew up calling them ‘zoris’. I also heard them called ‘flip-flops’. More recently I’ve heard them called ‘shower shoes’. Any others? ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-flip-flop-freak/305390/13 "2005-05-25T14:17:24Z")
I can’t wear the flip-flops. The toe wedgie is just too much for me to bear; I’m in pain within ten minutes. And I can’t seem to keep them on my feet without squinching up my toes. The “chinese slippers”, while I don’t like the look very much, are more comfortable for me. I have a few pairs in different colors for when I need something casual to slip on quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Susie\_Derkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47774/32.png) [@Susie\_Derkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susie_Derkins)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-flip-flop-freak/305390/14 "2005-05-25T15:33:11Z")
Good grief, I have way too many flip flops! I have two suede pairs that I got from Target ([pink](http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_6/601-0035217-7793738?%5Fencoding=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B00067KDN6) and [tan](http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_3/601-0035217-7793738?%5Fencoding=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B00067K4QM)), two pairs from [Old Navy](http://www.oldnavy.com/asp/Product.asp?wdid=20053&wpid=2651342) (hot pink and light blue), one pair of [Skechers](http://shop.skechers.com/shop/women/shoes/special/index.jskx?STYLE=SANDALS&INDEX=0&VIEWALL=TRUE&SORT=POPULAR&PRODID=2406216) (they were on sale for $6), one black pair with beaded flowers that I got from Gadzooks, and one navy pair with Hawaiian flowers that I got at the Dollar Tree. Now you guys know way too much about my footwear, and I am sure I will remember another pair as soon as I post this. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![PinkMarabou](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@PinkMarabou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PinkMarabou)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-flip-flop-freak/305390/15 "2005-05-25T16:07:19Z")
> [@The Sausage Creature](#): > > I meant a pair like [this](http://www.teva.com/Apparel_Detail.asp?dept_id=1&sku=6109&sc=all&g=women) in particular. I’ve got a positively ancient pair of Hurricanes; I think my mom bought them for me ca. 1997. And I still wear those, too. And I am rough on my shoes. Ooh I have a pair of those and they are the BEST flip flops. Mine are various shades of blue. I have a pair of platform ones, two pair of el-cheapo Old Navy (blue and black), and a pair with pink sequins. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-flip-flop-freak/305390/16 "2005-05-25T16:22:03Z")
We were talking about this at work the other day. The general consensus amongst the guys was that “thongs” as we call them in Australia reduce your IQ by 30 points and if Uma Thurman slips on a pair she becomes Roseanne. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-flip-flop-freak/305390/17 "2005-05-25T16:32:56Z")
I’ve heard them called ‘thongs’ as well. So we have ‘zoris’, ‘flip-flops’, ‘shower shoes’ and ‘thongs’. Any others? As far as IQ reduction, I’ve never thought of that. They were always just things to keep the sand from burning my young feet at the beach. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-flip-flop-freak/305390/18 "2005-05-25T16:34:15Z")
Oh my sweet, sweet flip flop novices- let me tell you a story about my flip flop collection. I own well over 35 pairs of flip flops; none of my flops cost more then $8 and they are all adorable. I have basic, plastic flops in all the colors of the rainbow, sparkley flops, beaded flops, leather flops, every imaginable kind of flop. Tis glorious. My favorite place to buy them is Target- they have a great selection and the prices are cheap. Oh, and in fairness, my flip flop collection isn’t necessarily excessive: I love in Southern California and can wear them year round. PS: They are _totally_ “flip flops”. We don’t say “thongs” because people get confused and think you are talking about your undies. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-flip-flop-freak/305390/19 "2005-05-25T16:35:31Z")
I even _live_ in Southern California! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-flip-flop-freak/305390/20 "2005-05-25T16:36:20Z")
> [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > PS: They are _totally_ “flip flops”. We don’t say “thongs” because people get confused and think you are talking about your undies. :eek: ‘Butt floss’. 😛 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-flip-flop-freak/305390.md?page=2)