Summer is here and comfort in near. Cute tropical flip flop tropical sandals. For the beach or the mall these will cover it all.

Nicer than your average rubber slippah, Less rubba more slippah

Vintage and retro converge with todays style. The traditional Japanese zori was the inspiration for what today is known as: (depending where you are from has many names including: thong, flip-flop, slap, slippah, rubba slipah, sandal, etc.) It has become the most popular beach sandal seen around the world by every nation and every social class. A few college students were recently chastized for wearing them to the White House!

Japan spread the zori to the west. The original manufacturing of the thong sandal in America was in Hawaii, when allied forces brought back the zori to the US after World War II. Zori sandals and flip-flops were the cheapest, most efficient and least material confined type of footwear to manufacture making them so popular after World War II in post war Japan. The zori gained popularity amongst Californian surfer in the 50s. In the 50's and 60s surf culture embraced the flip-flop, being the closest you could come to bare feet and the open-toed shoes became popular.

A tradition acquired from the Japanese, Hawaiians love their slippahs. In Hawaii people always take off their shoes when entering a home and nothing makes that easier than arriving wearing rubber slippahs. To support this tradition, a sign displayed reading "Mahalo for removing your shoes" and a tray or basket of rubbah slippahs waits at the front door of most homes. The tradition is one of both cleanliness and ettiquette . Just flip them off and hope you can identify which are yours upon departure.

Rubbah Slippahs are considered the most popular style of Hawaiian footwear.

Rubbah slippahs can be found virtually everywhere in the Hawaiian Islands and their popularity is spreading. Inexpensive, lightweight, comfortable and easy to pack, they make great gifts.

Of course quality and style can vary greatly.

Still appreciated for both their coolness in summer, and for the fact that they stimulate the feet and improve blood circulation.

For the same practical easy to remove design that the Japanese intended them for comfort is paramount however fashion dictates that they must still look good too.