Slides or sliders are a type of light

shoe A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot. Though the human foot can adapt to varied terrains and climate conditions, it is vulnerable, and shoes provide protection. Form was originally tied to function, but ...

that is characterized by having a loose heel that holds on to the foot from the front. Like

flip-flops Flip-flops are a type of light sandal-like shoe, typically worn as a form of casual footwear. They consist of a flat sole held loosely on the foot by a Y-shaped strap known as a toe thong that passes between the first and second toes and around ...

, they are typically employed in casual situations, in addition to being

unisex Unisex is an adjective indicating something is not sex-specific, i.e. is suitable for any type of sex. The term can also mean gender-blindness or gender neutrality. The term 'unisex' was coined in the 1960s and was used fairly informally. The co ...

footwear worn by both sexes. Sliders are distinguished from flip-flops by their vamp

strap A strap, sometimes also called strop, is an elongated flap or ribbon, usually of leather or other flexible materials. Thin straps are used as part of clothing or baggage, or bedding such as a sleeping bag. See for example spaghetti strap, s ...

which does not separate the big toe from the rest of the toes.

Description

Slides can be high-heeled, flat-heeled or somewhere in between, and may cover nearly the entire foot from ankle to toe, or may have only one or two narrow straps. They usually include a single

or a sequence of straps across the toes and the lower half of the foot to hold the shoe on the foot. The term is descriptive in that this shoe is easy to 'slide' on and off the foot when the wearer wants to do so. Slides do not have a Y-shaped strap, like the flip-flop. They generally consist of a sole and a simple upper strap, the latter having the purpose of keeping them attached to the foot. Their uppers can be smooth and continuous or have fasteners, such as buckles or

Velcro Velcro IP Holdings LLC, trading as Velcro Companies and commonly referred to as Velcro (pronounced ), is a British privately held company, founded by Swiss electrical engineer George de Mestral in the 1950s. It is the original manufacturer of ho ...

. Unlike slippers and mules, which are closed at the front, slide shoes are never closed at the front, they leave the toes visible and in the open air. They can be made with any type of material, from

leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning (leather), tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffal ...

fabric Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, and different types of fabric. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is no ...

, from natural fibers to synthetic materials. They are mainly used at the beach or at the swimming pool. Slides are still designed to be light and comfortable, and to make the foot breathe easier when it's hot, just like flip flops.

Health

Flat slides are problematic as they provide no arch support and little cushioning, leading to the foot arch collapsing over time. This pulls the Achilles tendon, potentially causing shin splints, heel and/or arch pain, or

tendinitis Tendinopathy is a type of tendon disorder that results in pain, swelling, and impaired function. The pain is typically worse with movement. It most commonly occurs around the shoulder ( rotator cuff tendinitis, biceps tendinitis), elbow ( tenn ...

. Slides typically aren't designed with a front and back end, which forces the wearer's toes to grip harder to keep the footwear in place, causing foot pain, and with more frequent usage it could change the toe's natural shape and growth, leading to hammertoes. These issues can be solved by wearing slides with a higher heel height, and more secure straps.

History

Slides can be traced back to

Ancient Rome In modern historiography, ancient Rome is the Roman people, Roman civilisation from the founding of Rome, founding of the Italian city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the Fall of the Western Roman Empire, collapse of the Western Roman Em ...

. They are often thought to come from as far back as

Ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt () was a cradle of civilization concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in Northeast Africa. It emerged from prehistoric Egypt around 3150BC (according to conventional Egyptian chronology), when Upper and Lower E ...

Ancient Greece Ancient Greece () was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity (), that comprised a loose collection of culturally and linguistically r ...

, but there is a lack of documentation to further prove that. The popularity of slides in the United States started in the late 1960s, when vibrant, colorful aesthetics, such as cherry flower motifs, were followed. Across the world in

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, the brand Birkenstock created the first fitness slide, a simple design made from contoured cork with a single-buckled leather strap. Another German company,

Adidas Adidas AG (; stylized in all lowercase since 1949) is a German athletic apparel and footwear corporation headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, Germany. It is the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe, and the second largest in the ...

, invented the well-known Adilette pool slide.

Fashion

High fashion designers such as Prada, Nike,

Gucci Guccio Gucci S.p.A., doing business as Gucci ( , ), is an Italian Luxury goods, luxury fashion house based in Florence. Its product lines include handbags, ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, and home decoration; and it licenses its name and ...

Burberry Burberry Group plc is a British luxury fashion house established in 1856 by Thomas Burberry and headquartered in London, England. It designs and distributes ready to wear, including trench coats, leather accessories, and footwear. It is l ...

, Walk London and

Marc Jacobs Marc Jacobs (born April 9, 1963) is an American fashion designer. He is the head designer for his own fashion label, Marc Jacobs, and formerly Marc by Marc Jacobs, a diffusion line, which was produced for approximately 15 years, before it was d ...

have included them in their collections. The different designs and ideas that come from the designers are expansive. Crafting slides from premium grade leathers and suedes, feathers to using floral patterns, faux-fur lining and regal pearls being attached or used as the main design behind slides.

Gallery

File:New balance black sandals.jpg, New Balance Slides Orange slides.jpg, Woman wearing orange slides Creative Photography.jpg, A pair of dotted slides Black sandal with summer pattern.jpg, Patterned slides Serenity, Love and Nike.jpg, Couple wearing Nike slides Keep Calm sandal.jpg, Keep calm slides Chinelos na areia, Praia de Xeraco.jpg, Blue beach slides 826Goods candies Philippines 01.jpg, Crocs Slides with label tag

References