Did You Know These Flip-Flop Facts? Surprising Truths About Our Favorite Summer Shoe

Flip-flop season has arrived at Chiro1Source headquarters! To celebrate, we’re sharing a few fun facts about flip-flops that even many podiatrists don’t know.

1. Flip-flops have been around for at least 6,000 years. Ancient paintings and archeological discoveries date the existence of the shoes to around 4000 B.C. Surprisingly, Americans didn’t start wearing them until the 1950s when Japanese rubber flip-flops arrived on our shores.
2. Around the world, people have made flip-flops from unusual materials like rice straw, papyrus, palm leaves, and rawhide. It’s hard to believe all of those options were comfortable.
3. Egypt’s King Tut owned an extra-fancy pair of flip-flops inlaid with bone and gold. Even his feet got the royal treatment!
4. In 2005, a flip-flop scandal swept the White House. Athletes from a women’s lacrosse team wore the relatively casual shoes to meet the president — flipping out fashion bloggers everywhere.
5. The growing U.S. flip-flop market is worth $3.5 billion. By 2025, Statista estimates we’ll spend about $4.71 billion on flip-flops!  Companies worldwide produce more than 3 billion flip-flops every year.
6. Flip-flops are terrible for your feet — with one exception. Most flip-flops don’t have any arch support, so wearing them too often can lead to problems like plantar fasciitis, bunions, ankle issues, and lower back pain. However, there’s an exception to the rule: Archies! These Australian flip-flops are just as sleek and stylish as normal ones, but they have a high arch that supports the foot, aligns the wearer’s posture, and prevents pronation.

We’ve stocked Archies in a range of colors on Chiro1Source for a few years now, and they’re a big hit with chiropractors who sell them to their patients. This spring, Archies launched a few new styles, including flip-flops with crystal accents on the straps, and a new slide style – click here to check them out!