Sandals are an open type of footwear, consisting of a sole held to the wearer's foot by straps going over the

instep The foot ( : feet) is an anatomical structure found in many vertebrates. It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows locomotion. In many animals with feet, the foot is a separate organ at the terminal part of the leg made ...

and around the

ankle The ankle, or the talocrural region, or the jumping bone (informal) is the area where the foot and the leg meet. The ankle includes three joints: the ankle joint proper or talocrural joint, the subtalar joint, and the inferior tibiofibular joi ...

. Sandals can also have a heel. 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, and peep-toe pumps), the common understanding is that a sandal leaves all or most of the foot exposed. People may choose to wear sandals for several reasons, among them comfort in warm weather, economy (sandals tend to require less material than shoes and are usually easier to construct), and as a

fashion Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion i ...

choice. Usually, people wear sandals in warmer climates or during warmer parts of the year in order to keep their feet cool and dry. The risk of developing

athlete's foot Athlete's foot, known medically as ''tinea pedis'', is a common skin infection of the feet caused by a fungus. Signs and symptoms often include itching, scaling, cracking and redness. In rare cases the skin may blister. Athlete's foot fungus ...

is lower than with enclosed

shoe A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot. They are often worn with a sock. Shoes are also used as an item of decoration and fashion. The design of shoes has varied enormously through time and from culture ...

s, and the wearing of sandals may be part of the treatment regimen for such an infection.

History

Egyptian sandals, vegetable fiber - Bata Shoe Museum - DSC00009

The oldest known sandals (and the oldest known footwear of any type) were discovered in Fort Rock Cave in the

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

state of

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...

; radiocarbon dating of the

sagebrush Sagebrush is the common name of several woody and herbaceous species of plants in the genus '' Artemisia''. The best known sagebrush is the shrub '' Artemisia tridentata''. Sagebrushes are native to the North American west. Following is an al ...

bark from which they were woven indicates an age of at least 10,000 years. The word is of Greek origin - : sándalon. The

ancient Greeks Ancient Greece ( el, Ἑλλάς, Hellás) was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity ( AD 600), that comprised a loose collection of cult ...

distinguished between: * : páxeia (Latinized as '; plural ''baxeae''), a sandal made of

willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist so ...

leaves, twigs, or fibres worn by comic actors and philosophers; and * : kóthornos (Latinized as ''

cothurnus A buskin is a knee- or calf-length boot made of leather or cloth, enclosed by material, and laced, from above the toes to the top of the boot, and open across the toes. A high-heeled version was worn by Athenian tragic actors (to make them loo ...

''), a 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 cothurnus 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 tree-leaves and papyrus. They are sometimes observable on the feet of Egyptian statues and in reliefs, being carried by sandal-bearers. According to Herodotus, sandals of papyrus were a part of the required and characteristic dress of the Egyptian priests. In Ancient Greece sandals were the most common type of footwear that women wore and spent most of their time at home. The Greek sandals featured a multitude of straps with which they securely fastened to the foot. The top of the sandals were usually of colored leather. The soles were made of cattle skin, of even better quality and made up of several layers. In Ancient Rome residents used to carve their boots and sandals with elaborate designs. In Ancient Levant sandals ("Biblical sandals") were made from non-processed leather and dry grass, and had strings or ropes made of simple, cheap materials. Occasionally golden or silver beads and even gems were added. In his autobiography Edward Carpenter told how sandals came to be made in England:

Construction

A sandal may have a sole (shoe), sole made from rubber, leather, wood, tatami or rope. It may be held to the foot by a narrow thong that generally passes 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 (shoe), heel (either low or High-heeled footwear, high) or heel strap.

Variants

* Caligae, a heavy-soled classical Roman military shoe or sandal for marching, worn by all ranks up to and including centurion * Clog (shoe), Clog can be formed as a heavy sandal, having a thick, typically wooden sole. * Crochet sandals * 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 that lies along the instep. 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-flops are typically cheap and suitable for beach, pool, or locker room wear * Geta (footwear), Geta, a classical Japanese form of elevated thong, traditionally of cryptomeria wood; the crosspiece is referred to as a ''ha'', which translates to ''tooth'' * Grecian sandal, sandals from Greece and Salento (Italy), a (generally flat or low) sole attached to the foot by interlaced straps crossing the toes and instep, and fastening around the ankle. A similar style is sometimes called gladiator sandal * High-heeled footwear, High-heeled sandal, a type of sandal with an elevated heel. They allow the wearer to have an open shoe while being less casual or more formal, depending on the style of the sandal. * Hiking and trekking sandals are designed for hiking or trekking in hot and tropical climates, usually using robust rubber outsole, suitable for any terrain, and softer Ethylene-vinyl acetate, EVA or Super EVA foam insole. These sandals are usually shaped to support the arched contour of the foot. The straps are usually made of polyester or nylon webbing for quick drying after exposure to water and to minimize perspiration. Also suitable for many other adventure sports and activities where quick drying and reduced perspiration is required, including rafting, traveling, paragliding, skydiving. * Ho Chi Minh sandals is one name for a homemade or cottage industry footwear, the soles cut from an old automobile tire and the straps cut from an inner tube. Made and worn in many countries, they became wider known in the US as worn by the rural people of Indochina during the Vietnam War, leading to the name. * Huarache (shoe), Huarache, a Mexican sandal, with sole made of a tire tread, or huarache (running shoe), a flat sandal used by minimalist runners. * 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 later 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. * Jesuslatschen * Jipsin, a traditional Korean sandal made of straw *Ojota, an extremely durable Peruvian sandal made of Tire recycling, recycled tires that is traditionally worn in the Andes by Quechua people. * 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. * Patten (shoe), 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 * Roman sandal (disambiguation), Roman sandal, a sandal held to the foot by a Shoe#Shoe construction, 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, are made from closed-cell soft foam and uses surgical tubing for the straps. They are 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 20th century, by the 1950s they were very common for boys and girls up to their teens, but are now mainly worn by much younger children. This style or similar styles are also called "Mary Jane" shoes. * Waraji, Japanese straw sandals common in the Edo period * Wörishofer, a ladies' sandal with a cork wedge heel * Zōri, a flat and thonged Japanese sandal, usually made of straw, cloth, leather, or rubber

Gallery

File:Yoga sandals.jpg, Yoga sandals have thongs that pass between all of the toes. File:Grecian sandals.jpg, Grecian sandals. File:MulticolorSandalette.jpg, High-heeled footwear, High-heeled sandals. File:HuarachesZaachila.JPG, Mexican sandals File:Claquettes-peto.jpg, East Asian flip-flops File:Debbie Reynolds Auction - Charlton Heston and Jack Hawkins high sandal boots from "Ben-Hur" (1959) (5851596277) (2).jpg, Sandals from the film ''Ben-Hur'' File:Tire Sandals.jpg, Vietnamese sandal File:Japanese geta - senryou.jpg, Japanese Sandal File:Sandaletter -- 2019.jpg, Low heel sandals File:Sandals (5).jpg, Sandals with a toe thong File:Navy blue fashion sandals.jpg, Fashion sandals File:ECCO - 2022.jpg, Sandals from ECCO, Ecco.

References

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External links