Flip Flops came from Somewhere?!- RPS #9
The chronological story of the creation of the flip
flop from start to finish is as follows:
Flip-flops are an open type of outdoor footwear,
composed of a flat sole held loosely on the foot by a
Y-shaped strap, like a thin thong, that passes
between the first (big) and second toes and around
either side of the foot. In contrast to sandals, flipflops do not secure the ankle.
The latest design was invented in Auckland, New
Zealand by Morris Yock in the 50s and patented in
1957,.However, this claim has recently been
contested by the children of John Cowie. John
Cowie was an England-raised businessman who
started a plastics manufacturing business in Hong
Kong after the war. His children claim that it was
Cowie that was being experimental with shoe
design, and then started manufacturing a plastic
version of the sandals in the late 1940s and that
Yock was just a New Zealand importer. The children
also say that their father claimed to have invented
the name "jandal" from a shortened form of
"Japanese Sandal". John Cowie and his family
immigrated to New Zealand in 1959. Cowie’s
family gets very emotional, or upset when the
origins of flip flops are questioned.
Despite 'jandal' being commonly used in New
Zealand to describe any manufacturer's brand, the
word Jandal is actually a trademark since 1957, for a
long time owned by the Skellerup company. In
countries other than New Zealand, jandals are
known by other names. In Australia they are known
as thongs. The first pair were manufactured there by
Skellerup rival Dunlop in 1960. Thongs became
popular there after being worn by the Australian
Olympic swimming team at the Melbourne Olympic
Games in 1956[. In the UK and U.S. they are most
commonly known as flip-flops. These athletes
encouraged the marketing of such a shoe that would
allow them easy accessibility.
Flip-flops now come in a stunning, beautiful variety
of shoe styles other than the traditional flat sandal,
such as women's heels, slides, and wedges.
Flip-flops are a satisfying option because they allow
the foot to be out in the open but still constitute a
shoe for wear in places such as restaurants or on city
streets, and can be quickly and easily removed. They
are also popular because they are easy to carry and
come in an assortment of colors and patterns.
If flip flops were ever to be stopped marketed and
sold, you can be sure there would be many grieving
people out there, upset that their favorite shoe is no
longer available. These people would be
unforgiving to the shoe market, showing no mercy
to those who took away their precious shoe.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flip-flops
Using your context clues, determine the meaning of
this week’s RPS words, and write their definitions
below:
Word
Compose
Unforgiving
Grieving
Emotional
Stunning
Definition
To make or
form by
combining
things; to
create or make
up.
Unrelenting;
not able to
show mercy or
sympathy.
The state of
feeling grief or
great sorrow.
To be upset or
easily affected;
to show great
pain with
feelings.
Astonishing,
bewildering; of
Context Clues
Description of
the two items
on the shoe
Showing no
mercy
Upset, took
away
Upset
Beautiful
Experimental
Satisfying
Encourage
Contrast
Chronological
striking beauty
or excellence.
The state of
testing, trying
out, or going
through
procedures in
order to
see/find results.
To fulfill the
desires, needs,
and demands
of someone or
something.
To encourage
with spirit or
confidence; to
promote.
To compare in
order to show
differences; to
not opposite
purposes.
To be arranged
in the order of
Started,
invented
Allow,
popular, easy
Allow them
Side, relation
to other shoe
Start, finish
time.
What background knowledge did you use to help you
better understand this text? Answers will vary
What text structure is this passage? Chronological How
do you know? Dates/time words
Is this a reliable source and how do you know? It is a wiki
source, so it is not reliable
Summarize in one sentence what this text was about: This
article is all about flip flops, where they cam from, who
invented them, and how they are used today.
Did the author of this article make an impact on you?
Why or why not? Answers will vary
What is the author’s purpose? To inform