Flip Flop
Japanese slippers. Yes that is the name. What has Japanese slippers got to do with the Japanese state, also known as the Land of the Rising Sun? Does Japan slippers are from Japan advanced nations who had attacked and occupied Malaya during the Second World War?
The origin of the use of the word ‘Japanese slippers’ to date has not been ascertained. Slippers are available today actually has long been used in Malaya before the arrival of Japan again.
Interestingly, the Japanese slippers on the Malaysian market today are not made in Japan.
Even in Japan, the word japanese slipper (Japanese slippers) is actually a ‘mix drink’ or even wine mixed with sweets.
The history of the use of slippers has been used since ancient times. They use animal skins to cover the soles of the feet and legs.
Japanese slippers are called "flip-flops". It was originally made of woven fabric. Before World War II, it was widely used by the people of New Zealand. Even so, it is believed not to have originated in New Zealand.
After World War II, the fashion of these slippers was popularized by American soldiers returning from the Pacific. After a decade, his work began to change from woven fabric to plastic.
In the 1950s, a new design was designed and patented by Morris York in 1957 in Auckland New Zealand. However, this claim was recently disputed by John Cowie's children.
John Cowie was a British entrepreneur who started a plastic business in Hong Kong after the war. His children claim that Cowie began producing plastic version slippers in the late 1940s where Yock from New Zealand was only the importer of the slippers.
According to Cowie's children, their father used the name 'jandal', which stands for 'japanese sandals' or 'japanese slippers'. John Cowie and his family are said to have moved to New Zealand in the 1950s.
The word 'jandal' has been used in New Zealand to refer to the type of Japanese sandals, the brand "Jandal" has been used formally by Skellerup Company.
The first scandal released by the Skellerup company was at the Dunlop competition in 1960. Outside New Zealand, the scandal was known by various names.
In Australia they are known as "thongs" which became popular after being used by the Australian Olympic swimming team at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.
In England and the United States it is better known as "flip-flops", while in Malaysia our society calls it "japanese slippers".