The term flip-flop has been used in American and British English since the 1960s to describe inexpensive footwear consiting of a flat base, typically rubber, and a strap with three anchor points: between the big and second toes, then bifurcating to anchor on both sides of the foot. "Flip-flop" may be an onomatopoeia of the sound made by the sandals when walking in them.

Flip-flops are also called thongs (sometimes pluggers) in Australia, jandals (originally a trademarked name derived from "Japanese sandals") in New Zealand, and slops or plakkies in South Africa and Zimbabwe.

In the Philippines, tsinelas. In India, chappal, (which traditionally referred to a leather slipper). In Latin America, La Chancla. Throughout the world, they are also known by a variety of other names, including slippers in Bahamas, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.

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