The Origin of Sandals
The oldest known sandals in the U S were actually discovered in Fort Rock Cave in the state of Oregon. They were woven from sagebrush bark and scientists estimate their age to be over 10,000 years old. Ancient Greek communities made sandals made of willow leaves and fibers. Ancient Egyptian communties wore sandals made of palm-leaves and papyrus. You can sometimes see them on Egyptian statues.
Some say that sandals and flip-flops actually originate in countries like Egypt, China, New Zealand, and other countries in the Far East. Looking closely at ancient hieroglyphics, you can see certain Egyptian characters wearing sandal-type of footwear. During the ancient days, people wore sandals with no backs, or flip-flops. We call them flip-flops because they make a flapping sound when you walk with them on your feet. This is because they have no ankle support to keep them strapped to your feet.
It is often said that the New Zealand expression "jandals" for rubber sandals and the word "thongs" come from the expression "Japanese sandals." This is because the shape of jandals are close to Japanese zori, which are a rubber sole that clings to the foot using two cloth thong, extending from both sides of the foot, to the gap between the big and second toes. This footwear structure used to be the standard in Japan.
The Growth of Rainbows
Fast forward to modern times, the owner and founder of the Rainbow Sandals, Sparky, said that didn't even know how to make a single sandal when first starting out. He needed some help from his friends, and lots of experimentation, to come up with the first prototype of Rainbow flip flops.
After a good amount of experimenting, he eventually gained a reputation among local surfers, and the owner of Hobie Sports, put in a large order for Rainbow flip flops. According to Wikipedia, 1999 was the year that womens and mens Rainbow flip flops became a mainstream fashion trend. Everybody wanted a pair and big name stores like Dillards started carrying the product in stock. Today, the company is worth millions of dollars and the demand for Men's Rainbows is constantly growing. It just goes to show that things can always be improved, and that quality will prevail, even for footwear with a 10,000 year old history!
