The demise of my Kenyan flip flops

It happened in the monsoon here a day or so ago and you might rightly think why on earth is she writing about her flip flop.Well here they are and why they are important to me is that I bought these flip flops in Bata in Nairobi in the year 2000.

 We had embarked on the most beautiful camel and walking safari in the Matthews range of hills in Kenya and I needed flip flops. I bought some for me and my whole family and mine have lasted a decade. They bear the marks of Tara’s teeth and countless entries of thorn tree spikes which are the bain of flip flop walkers in the Kenyan bush.They are as soft as putty and nearly worn through but they have accompanied me around the world and I am loathe to throw them out but sadly when I was walking in a field the other day the power of the mud was so strong it sucked the central part straight out tearing the rubber and they are no longer safe to walk in.

Spare a moment for the flip flop. Who invented it, how long ago ….

The modern flip flop design was invented in Auckland, New Zealand by Morris Yock and patented in 1957 shockingly the year I was born. YES that long ago. They are modelled after the japanese wooden sandals that you see in Japan.
Flip-flops may have been familiar in the United States in the mid-19th century. An 1861 letter to the editor of The New York Times mentioned poorly equipped troops in the Seventh Regiment Volunteers wearing “flip-flaps”:

Havaianas a Brazilian brand of flip-flop gained world recognition in 1998 after the company developed a flip flop for the World Cup that featured the Brazilian flag.The brand has been around since 1962. The brand’s famous slogan “Havaianas. The Real Ones.” originated in the 1970s as a response to other companies making knock-off versions of the flip-flops.  The name Havaianas means Hawaiians in Portuguese.

So the end of another era ? Time for an Indian flip flop from the shop in the picture.

6 responses to “The demise of my Kenyan flip flops”

  1. avatar
    Anonymous

    did you already toss them? I'm sure there is SOMETHING you can do with them, to keep them with you for yet another decade!!

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  2. avatar
    Anonymous

    Perhaps you can walk into a Bata store in New Delhi and ask them for a new set of rubber straps. As a child running around in India, I used to go through dozens of these. The hole can be well filled in by a bicycle repairwala with a form of rubber cement. Those flipflops have obviously served you well and helped you make wonderful memories all these years. A pity if you had to put them away.

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  3. avatar
    Anonymous

    Love this post and love that your flip flops lasted 10 years. I think it's worth another trip to Kenya–no shoes I've worn have lasted that long. And, thanks for the history, very interesting.

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  4. avatar
    Anonymous

    You have all given me the idea of seeing how I can save the flip flop or perhaps recycle etc. Now you all know why a flip flop failure can be so poignant !! Love MM

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  5. avatar
    Anonymous

    where in New Delhi is this store??????

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  6. avatar
    Anonymous

    Enjoy your new flip flops and get the most trendy that suits you well. This shop may fulfill your desire to have the best flip flops.bata formal shoes for men

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