Flip flops, also referred to as zories, thongs, flaps, slaps, and beachwalkers, are the first pairs of shoes for millions of Third World consumers. In the developing nations, where flip flops are sold for less than $1, these shoes are more like standard footwear than a fashion statement. Many efforts are made to keep their cost low, such as making them out of recycled tires. For someone who has previously been without shoes, their first pair of flip flops can indicate some upward mobility. And in time they may signify a step toward an eventual pair of closed-toed shoes.

The basic design of the flip flop is about as classic as it gets. There’s even an Egyptian hieroglyph for the sandals ancestral to today’s flip flop–consisting of a long oval with an inverted V shape. Even King Tutankhamen’s tomb bears the original “flip flop” design.