Ho Chi Minh and Other Sandals - Part 2 Quiz

Answer: Leather

Huaraches were being hand woven in Mexico before the famous voyage of Christopher Columbus! The name, originating with the Purépecha word "kwarachi", simply means "sandals". Originally made by peasant farmers, huaraches were also adopted as footwear by some religious communities. Today huaraches are also made into shoes - sandals leave some of the foot uncovered while shoes do not - and other materials, such as string and rubber, can be used to make them; traditional huaraches, however, are always handmade with braided leather.

Answer: Biblical sandals

Usually made with brown or black leather, Biblical sandals are made with a sole and two straps - one at the top of the foot and one at the heel. A staple footwear of people living in the region of the Holy Land for thousands of years, today Biblical sandals are worn to represent the movement of Zionism, which supports the return of the Jewish people to the area called Canaan in the Old Testament.

Answer: Wooden sole

Although the English Oxford Dictionary says that a clog is a "shoe with a thick wooden sole", it is important to remember that a sandal is a type of shoe. It is unknown where this type of footwear originated as clogs do not preserve well over time. Unsurprisingly, the oldest surviving clogs dating to the 1200s have been found in the region that made wooden shoes famous - the Netherlands.

Many different cultures, however, made clogs with designs unique to the area where they were manufactured.

Answer: False

Many styles of sandals have flat soles, however, heels of a variety of heights are also allowed! Some high heeled sandals are used to complete a dressy look for a lady's evening wear; even though they are uncomfortable and potentially damaging to one's feet, women think higher heels make their legs longer and increases their attractiveness to men. Did you know that in the past men have also worn high heels? In ancient Egypt, butchers wore high heels in order to keep away from the bloody carcasses they were butchering.

Answer: Jelly sandals

It is unknown exactly when jelly sandals were first produced. One story is that it occurred in the 1940s after World War II due to the shortage of leather. Another states that they were first introduced in the 1950s or 1960s because plastic was more plentiful by then; it is true that Australian school children were wearing jelly sandals by then. Wherever or whenever they originated, it is certain that jelly sandals are a good ecological choice for footwear, as they can be recycled.

Answer: Korea

The manufacturing of sandals made of straw dates back to ancient times in Korea; over the centuries many different styles are evident. Jipsin sandals were worn by common people, farmers, and students, during the Joseon Dynastay (1392-1897), and that style is still being worn in Korea today.

Answer: Espadrilles

Esparto, a grass found in Spain and Northern Africa, has been used for centuries to weave baskets, rugs, ropes, and even make clothes. In fact, the grass has even been used to make a high quality paper! The ropes made from the grass and used by the ancient Carthaginians and Greeks, were eventually formed to make the sole of a shoe.

The first evidence of its use to make a sandal dates to about 4,000 years ago, however, by the 1300s Esparto sandals were the typical foot covering of both male and female commoners in Spain. Well, isn't espadrille a French word? Yes, it is! It is derived, however, from "alpargata" and "espartena" in Spanish.

Answer: Monks

Paduka sandals are a very simple for of footwear; they consist of a sole with a post and knob that fit between the big and second toes. The oldest known type of sandal made in India, paduka sandals were originally worn by all people in India; the materials from which they were made, however, varied widely.

While commoners' sandals would be made of wood, padukas made for the wealthy could be constructed from ivory, or even silver. In the past, padukas have been made with spikes with the idea that the wearer, typically a religious man of some sort, could bear the pain in order to show his religious devotion.

Answer: Thongs

If you have ever worn a pair of flip-flops, you know that the name is derived from the sound they make as you walk around in them. According to a 2018 article on "tripsavvy", as well as "The Sydney Morning Herald", Australians refer to flip-flops as thongs. Made with a Y-shaped strap that fits between the large and second toes, thongs are left open around the heel. They were first manufactured in the late 1950s after Japanese swimmers at the Melbourne Olympics were seen wearing geta. Thongs are very comfortable to wear and are apparently considered proper dress in Australia for any number of occasions.

The other choices are all slang words for flip-flops in other parts of the world - Jandals comes from New Zealand, slops from South Africa, and step-ins from the Philippines.

Answer: Dep Lop

With a name that literally means "tyre rubber sandals", Ho Chi Minh sandals were made to resemble a pair that was originally made for Ho Chi Minh himself. Although "dep lop" sandals became popularly worn during the era of the Vietnam War, their use actually goes back to the 1940s; during the time of the resistance wars against French colonialism they were worn by the Viet Minh. Later they became part of the uniform worn by the Viet Cong. Today the sandals are viewed by many Vietnamese as symbols of their independence.