Ho Chi Minh and Other Sandals Trivia Quiz

Answer: Most of the foot is left uncovered

Shoes are defined as "footwear designed to protect and comfort the foot", while sandals are identified as "an open type of footwear". The distinction between the two may be a bit difficult to make in some instances, however, sandals do leave most or all of the foot uncovered. So, while all sandals are shoes, not all shoes are sandals! While all sandals have a sole, they do not necessarily have any other distinguishing characteristic in common.

For example, they may have a heel - or not! They do have straps, of course, but there is no defining way the straps have to be arranged.

Answer: Neolithic Age

During the Neolithic Age - or Revolution as some sources use - which dates to about 10,000 years ago, man learned to domesticate plants and animals. There was no longer a need to continuously search for food; people were able to settle down and create other things. Baskets were made to hold agricultural goods, and it is believed that weaving sandals as a type of footwear developed from basket weaving; many times the same materials, grasses or other plants, were used for both.

Answer: Oregon

Archaeologists have determined that Fort Rock Cave was inhabited over 13,000 years ago. The sandals uncovered there in 1938 were made in a style called "Fort Rock". They are flats and have twined soles, enclosed toes, and a thong to hold the sandal in place. Sometimes they were embellished with rabbit fur or pine needles. Made from sagebrush bark, there was quite a variety of these sandals from different time periods found in the cave; subsequent discoveries have revealed the same style of sandal at other sites in Oregon, as well as newer styles that began to emerge about 7500 years ago.

Answer: Otzi

The remains of Otzi have been dated to c 3400-3100 BC, and belong to the stage of cultural development which is known as the Copper Age, as evidenced by the presence of his copper axe. There have been several interpretations of what archaeologists believe his shoes looked like - some are sandals, some would be classified as shoes - and the discussion continues to this day.

Many interpretations, however, show the shoe as a type of sandal that had a toe covering. It has been determined that the sandals were constructed of bearskin soles, with a toe covering made of deerskin.

There are some who believe that the use of leather at this point was to give the owner of the sandal the swiftness or other characteristics of the animal from which the leather was made.

The remainder of the shoe was constructed of loosely woven grass. But wait! Wasn't Otzi found on a glacier? Sandals wouldn't have provided much protection for his feet in such an environment! Otzi's sandals were stuffed with hay; in addition, he wore goat skin leggings that were presumably attached to his sandals with leather straps made from calfskin.

His feet showed no sign of frostbite!

Answer: Papyrus

Commoners in ancient Egypt typically went barefoot or wore sandals made of papyrus, palm leaves, or straw. Although papyrus was made into paper, it must be remembered that in its original state it is a reed that grows along the Nile. The Greek historian Herodotus wrote that Egyptian priests were required to wear sandals made of papyrus.

Items made of animal products, such as wool or leather, were considered to be unclean. Many ancient Egyptian sandal-wearers are depicted as wearing sandals with curved toes. Why? It appears that they felt it would help them walk better. Did you know that there was a palace official in ancient Egypt called a sandal-bearer? Believed to have been the first evidence of the job in history, the sandal-bearer in ancient Egypt would carry the sandals of a person who was higher in status than himself. That didn't necessary mean that the job of sandal-bearer was considered to be a lowly one; carrying the sandals for pharaoh, for example, would hold much prestige.

There are also examples of the occupation in other historic eras, such as in Japan during its feudal period.

Answer: It laced up a person's calves

The best way to describe a "cothurnus" is to call it a boot sandal. Open like a sandal, it also laces up a person's calves using some type of cloth or leather. Historically this style has been worn by emperors, high-ranking Catholic clergymen, and even the Pope! It could be made with thicker soles so that the wearer would appear to be taller. Interestingly, these sandals were also worn by tragic actors and upper class individuals in ancient Greece, while philosophers and comedic actors wore a low type of sandals called a "baxea".

Answer: Capri

Although they were first worn by the likes of Grace Kelly and Princess Margaret, Jackie Kennedy is credited with popularizing the use of Capri sandals. Hers came from a company called Canfora, which is still in operation today by family members of the original owner, Amedeo Canfora.

In 1962, while still first lady of the United States, Jackie arrived at the shop at midnight to be measured for custom made sandals. The store owners still have the original copy of the tracing that was made of her right foot. Records show that Jackie preferred a style which was called "K"; the top of the sandal consisted of silver locking chains.

As of April 2018 visitors to the shop on Capri may still purchase custom made sandals made by Amedeo's two daughters; they can finish a special order in about twenty minutes!

Answer: One has an elevated base

At first glance, the geta and zori are similar in appearance. Both have a strap, called a "hanao", or thong, that goes between the first and second toe to help keep the sandal in place. The shape of the bottom of the sandals is also similar; while both can have wooden bottoms, zori sandals can be made with other materials as well. Always made with a wooden bottom, geta sandals have a couple of teeth or stilts attached to the bottom. Back in the day, these stilts allowed people to walk in the rain or mud without getting their clothing muddy or wet. Because of the teeth on the bottom, walking while wearing geta is much noisier than wearing zori. Traditionally geta were worn more outside, while zori were worn inside.

Answer: Working class

Founded by Robert Fraser in 1962, the Havaianas company is now owned by Alpargatas and based in Brazil. Originally made for the working class as an inexpensive foot covering, today they are worn by many different people; some are even embellished with Swarovski crystals! Havaianas are made of rubber and were created to look like the soles of the Japanese zori.

When first manufactured, the soles were white. Since the 1990s, however, the soles have been made in many different colors and designs.

For example, while I have some with the original color scheme of the white sole, I also have a pair with a popular design called "Hibiscus". These sandals are very comfortable, last forever, and are decorated to coordinate with a variety of different types of summer clothing. Keep in mind, though, that it is much cheaper to purchase Havaianas in the Brazil than it is to buy them in the U.S.!

Answer: Tires

Dép ("sandal") lốp ("tire rubber") sandals, also called Ho Chi Minh sandals by American servicemen during the Vietnam War, are still made today from old airplane and car tires. These sandals were part of the uniform worn by Vietnamese soldiers during the Vietnam War.

The sandals are said to provide great traction in jungle terrain; in addition, they do not leave much of a footprint behind, making it difficult to track. Actually, the soles are recycled from tires, and the straps are part of the tire's inter tube. Two strips form an "X" over the top of the foot, followed by two strips that go from one side of the sole's width to the other.

They are still used and manufactured today. Vietnamese craftsman Pham Quang Xuan has stated that in 1969 he was asked to design a shoe similar to a pair of sandals that were worn by Ho Chi Minh. According to their website, the family continues to manufacture the sandals, which have become so popular that customers are limited to one pair per order.