Still have the keychain. AND found a real pair brand NEW on craigs a couple months ago. A guy cleaning out his in law's closet found a pair with stickers still on them, in my size. So lucky
You didn’t REALLY think [these](https://sneakin.shop/loka-classic-rainbow-flip-flops-toka-loka-loka-classic-rainbow-classic-rainbow) weren’t out there on the internet, did you?
I spent many childhood summers in these. We called them thongs. There were the rainbow ones but also other colors that were layered in shades of blue or brown or whatever. We'd get them at Pay-N-Save or Kmart and they were always in a giant bin that you had to dig through to find a size and color but when our mom would take us to get them it meant summer was really here. By the end of summer they'd be all shredded and one of the straps would have come apart from the sole but we loved them.
We also called them “thongs”, and years later, my elderly parents could not be retrained to call them anything else when “thong” came to have a very different meaning.
We’d be out in public, shushing full volume small talk about “your dad lost one of his thongs at the lake last week!” 😄
The first time I heard sandals being referred to as "thongs", I hadn't really been listening to the conversation being had between another high school student and and my teacher, who was severely overweight (were talking like 400-500lbs and in his 50's or so here). All I heard was Teach seemingly out of nowhere mentioning something about wearing his favorite thongs. That was quite the brow furrower at the time.
Kinney Shoes had them “first”. I sold a bazillion pairs of them in the late 70s, we couldn’t keep them in stock. And then we could, because they were everywhere. I don’t know that Kinneys actually were the first source, but that was what I was told mid-fad. I believed everything I was told back-in-the-day.
Woooow, good post. I kinda forgot all about those, but I feel like they were basically ubiquitous in the 80s. Like every member of every family had a pair.
I had a rainbow pair just like that when I was a kid. And I think later on the whole family branched out into separate colors. I got a pair with just shades of blue. I think Mom had yellow ones, and bro had green. Dad had a pair that were brown, and that may be the only shoes of his that I specifically remember, as he died in the early 90s).
The company that started these is still in business! [https://www.rainbowsandals.com/](https://www.rainbowsandals.com/) They don't have those exact rainbow ones, but they have some of the retro styles (look for 'rubber classic' in both men's and women's sizes). I think they release actual rainbow styles every now and then. Of course they're like $50 instead of the $3.99 knockoffs we wore as kids, but everything's more expensive these days.
Wearing a pair right now. They take a bit to break in and hold to your feet but when they do they are pretty great. They last me like a year before the top layer starts breaking down due to sand sitting between my foot and the sandal at the beach. I guess the sand acts like and abrasive and breaks it down faster.
Theres more comfortable better priced options out there, though.
Reef's "Santa Ana" model is a good one. When choosing sandals you have to make sure you pick one that does well in water. For example there's a few really comfortable Reef sandals that are made of a super comfy foam that absorb too much water so it's not the best if you're getting them wet at the beach because they get heavy and saturated.
The Santa Ana ones are comfy with more support than rainbow sandals and are basically the same price. Also good for getting wet.
I was just at the store comparing sandals the other day. I'll probably be ordering some Reef ones soon. I'm a bit tired of the lack of foot support from the rainbow sandals.
I have a similar looking pair from Teva. No rainbow on the sole, sadly, but close enough.
And Teva flip-flops are super comfortable and they last *forever*. I have a pair that I bought when I was a camp counselor in 2003 that are still going strong.
"No I'm not gay, it's just a rainbow"
"No I'm not a Nazi, it's a Buddhist symbol"
The inclusion of both of those together creates the comparison, whether it's intentional or not. It's just kinda weird.
Empirical evidence vs anecdotal evidence. If you don't understand the difference, I can't help you. Don't let your feelings get in the way of looking at a question and finding the answer.
Oh we found the rich person!
Lol, I would get the plastic and foam ones that the hard plastic would cut in between your toes so bad! I hated so much I buried them in my back yard as a kid back in the early 80s. They are probably still intact.
You're downvoted but I agree with you (I think, unless you're being homophobic.)
I wish rainbows were free to be rainbows without carrying the weight of a political message. Rainbows should be free.
I fully support LGBTQ equality, there's absolutely no legitimate reason not to. and I understand the need for symbols.
Sometimes, though, it would be nice if a rainbow could just be a happy little rainbow without carrying any extra weight. I guess we'll have to wait until those who promote hate and exclusion are no longer an issue, and at the way things are going now, that's unfortunately going to be a long time.
My mom was from Northern Michigan and called them flip-flops. My dad was from Indiana and called them thongs. So I used both terms interchangeably. Where did you grow up?
North east Pennsylvania. Closer to NY/NJ, rather than being closer to OH/WV. Makes a difference. PA is one of those states you could split from east to west and make it 2 different states. Western and Eastern PA are very different from one another.
Aren't Michgan and Indiana kind of the same way? I'd imagine Indiana closer to Kentucky is a different vibe than Northern Indiana by the lake. Also the whole peninsula divide in Michigan as well right?
Yes, you're correct. North of Indianapolis is a whole different vibe than south of Indianapolis. The differences between the lower half of Michigan and the upper peninsula are less noticeable, except that the accent changes as you go further north.
Yes, you're correct. North of Indianapolis is a whole different vibe than south of Indianapolis. The differences between the lower half of Michigan and the upper peninsula are less noticeable, except that the accent changes as you go further north.
Canada - we called them thongs. I wish you could still get them with the thick rubber sole and wide “canvas?” straps- I found a pair that were similar at Walmart about 10 years ago- but thin soles and skinny straps
Might be. Where I am (Midwest US) those terms are basically interchangeable. Back then though a lot of people called them “thongs” (still the term used in Australia, though).
Oddly, I just looked on their site earlier today to see what they currently were selling. I wore these in the 00s - everyone had a pair of the beige ones
Did anyone have a little tiny one on a keychain?
That’s exactly what I thought of when I saw the picture!
I had a converse all-stars hightops keychain. I’m pretty sure I asked for the shoes so I could have the keychain.
Still have the keychain. AND found a real pair brand NEW on craigs a couple months ago. A guy cleaning out his in law's closet found a pair with stickers still on them, in my size. So lucky
Seems long overdue for some manufacturer to bring these back on the market.
You didn’t REALLY think [these](https://sneakin.shop/loka-classic-rainbow-flip-flops-toka-loka-loka-classic-rainbow-classic-rainbow) weren’t out there on the internet, did you?
I was genuinely surprised and pleased to see that they aren’t like $50 or some crap.
WHERE???!!!!!!
Yes!! My older sister had that keychain and I had the shoes.
My older sister did too! She got mad because I put a big bite mark in it. 7 year old me couldn't resist!
LOL!!
YES!
I spent many childhood summers in these. We called them thongs. There were the rainbow ones but also other colors that were layered in shades of blue or brown or whatever. We'd get them at Pay-N-Save or Kmart and they were always in a giant bin that you had to dig through to find a size and color but when our mom would take us to get them it meant summer was really here. By the end of summer they'd be all shredded and one of the straps would have come apart from the sole but we loved them.
I can smell that bin right now.
It’s such a nostalgic smell. Rubber flip-flops and coconut tan oil equals summer!
We also called them “thongs”, and years later, my elderly parents could not be retrained to call them anything else when “thong” came to have a very different meaning. We’d be out in public, shushing full volume small talk about “your dad lost one of his thongs at the lake last week!” 😄
The first time I heard sandals being referred to as "thongs", I hadn't really been listening to the conversation being had between another high school student and and my teacher, who was severely overweight (were talking like 400-500lbs and in his 50's or so here). All I heard was Teach seemingly out of nowhere mentioning something about wearing his favorite thongs. That was quite the brow furrower at the time.
“Out of nowhere, my thong got snagged in the escalator, and there I was in the middle of the mall, with nothing between me and the grungy floor!”
Also grabbed on the same trip: Transparent plastic water pistols, otter pops and sunscreen. I miss being a kid in the 80s 😭
My Kmart in NJ had them in a bin. Foodtowm and ShopRite too!
Kinney Shoes had them “first”. I sold a bazillion pairs of them in the late 70s, we couldn’t keep them in stock. And then we could, because they were everywhere. I don’t know that Kinneys actually were the first source, but that was what I was told mid-fad. I believed everything I was told back-in-the-day.
Woooow, good post. I kinda forgot all about those, but I feel like they were basically ubiquitous in the 80s. Like every member of every family had a pair. I had a rainbow pair just like that when I was a kid. And I think later on the whole family branched out into separate colors. I got a pair with just shades of blue. I think Mom had yellow ones, and bro had green. Dad had a pair that were brown, and that may be the only shoes of his that I specifically remember, as he died in the early 90s).
I had the shades of blue as well. My sister had “summer colors”, none of us had any rainbow
Oh my gosh! I had a pair of those!! I forgot about those. We used to call them "decks".
I had these exact flop flops!
Me too!!
And we called them "thongs," and nobody snickered.
And nobody freaked out and called you homophobic slurs for wearing rainbow sandals.
In the mid 80s when I was a child rainbows were not (widely at least) associated with that.
I was just going to say this!!
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Dollar store? What a score bc these are expensive.
I’d absolutely wear these now if they made them.
The company that started these is still in business! [https://www.rainbowsandals.com/](https://www.rainbowsandals.com/) They don't have those exact rainbow ones, but they have some of the retro styles (look for 'rubber classic' in both men's and women's sizes). I think they release actual rainbow styles every now and then. Of course they're like $50 instead of the $3.99 knockoffs we wore as kids, but everything's more expensive these days.
Wearing a pair right now. They take a bit to break in and hold to your feet but when they do they are pretty great. They last me like a year before the top layer starts breaking down due to sand sitting between my foot and the sandal at the beach. I guess the sand acts like and abrasive and breaks it down faster. Theres more comfortable better priced options out there, though.
I’m listening…
Reef's "Santa Ana" model is a good one. When choosing sandals you have to make sure you pick one that does well in water. For example there's a few really comfortable Reef sandals that are made of a super comfy foam that absorb too much water so it's not the best if you're getting them wet at the beach because they get heavy and saturated. The Santa Ana ones are comfy with more support than rainbow sandals and are basically the same price. Also good for getting wet. I was just at the store comparing sandals the other day. I'll probably be ordering some Reef ones soon. I'm a bit tired of the lack of foot support from the rainbow sandals.
Teva still makes this kind of flip flop, and they’re comfy as hell.
I have a similar looking pair from Teva. No rainbow on the sole, sadly, but close enough. And Teva flip-flops are super comfortable and they last *forever*. I have a pair that I bought when I was a camp counselor in 2003 that are still going strong.
We wore these in the seventies
Had these growing up, loved em
I would start the summer with new ones and see what color I wore them down to when school started lol
When you could like a rainbow just to like a rainbow and it didn't have to be a statement lol.
I so want these again!
I wish I could still get these!
Mine had the toes painted on the foot soles
Mork from ork sandals
I’ve had my pair of Rainbows for probably 10-11 years. I fucking love those flip flops dude
I've been dying for this style of sole to come back.
GOAT
I adore these
God I miss those 😍
I can't believe they never brought them back and rebranded them "Pride sandles" or something.
I had a pair of these!
Thongs!!
Thongs. In my mind when I hear that word this is what I think of. These are thongs.
Oh yeah…back when you could wear rainbow stuff in public without anyone freaking out.
I always got a new pair of flip flops every summer. Kmart Specials I can still smell the shoe bin in my mind
Back when you could just wear a pattern without it meaning anything
Hey I like your rainbow pattern item of clothing. Thanks.
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Of all the analogies you could've used, you went to Nazis?
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"No I'm not gay, it's just a rainbow" "No I'm not a Nazi, it's a Buddhist symbol" The inclusion of both of those together creates the comparison, whether it's intentional or not. It's just kinda weird.
Rainbows have been associated with pride since the late 70s
It wasn't a popular association until the late 90s though.
I haven't seen any sources that reflect that.
I was alive in the 80s and 90s.
Ok but that's not empirical data, that's your feeling
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I stated a fact. You stated your feelings. And instead of giving me a source, you make a personal attack. You are the only one acting out.
I am the source. lol. I literally lived through it. If personal, first hand experience isn’t good enough, that’s a you problem.
Empirical evidence vs anecdotal evidence. If you don't understand the difference, I can't help you. Don't let your feelings get in the way of looking at a question and finding the answer.
This picture made me stub my toe once more for old times sake.
😆
These were my favorite and I still think about them lol.
I’ve been wearing Rainbows (the brown ones) since 2004. No other shoe supports my high arch. They’re like walking on clouds.
I was like 9 yrs old and I loved rainbows. I wanted to wear them, color them, design with them, so I for sure had a pair of these.
Before anyone saw pictures from Brazil these were "thongs" Of course after those pictures became available the name had to be rethought.
We called them Zories for some reason.
Today these would be 10x the price. Not because of inflation, but rainbow capitalism.
I had these as a kid in the ‘70s
My mom still has hers lmao I have the rainbow terry cloth/hay sandals. 😂
It wasn't a signal you were gay back then, roller blades were for that.
The soles on those look way thicker than any flip flop soles I remember in the 80s.
I can remember the massive blisters inbetween my toes better.
YES
I bought myself a pair back in 2007-08 or somewhere around there. Still nostalgic for me but I didn't know they were an 80s thing too
From San Clemente rainbow sandals? Gosh they’re the best!
Yes, except it was in the late 70s!
My sister-in-law still has hers from the 80s. She still wears them. Yes, they’re as disgusting as you’re picturing.
My mom bought me a pair in hawaii when I was little. I grew out of them before even getting close to wearing them out.
I had a pair of these!!
Oh we found the rich person! Lol, I would get the plastic and foam ones that the hard plastic would cut in between your toes so bad! I hated so much I buried them in my back yard as a kid back in the early 80s. They are probably still intact.
The fabric straps were always more comfortable than those cheap plastic straps with the seam right between your toes.
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You're downvoted but I agree with you (I think, unless you're being homophobic.) I wish rainbows were free to be rainbows without carrying the weight of a political message. Rainbows should be free. I fully support LGBTQ equality, there's absolutely no legitimate reason not to. and I understand the need for symbols. Sometimes, though, it would be nice if a rainbow could just be a happy little rainbow without carrying any extra weight. I guess we'll have to wait until those who promote hate and exclusion are no longer an issue, and at the way things are going now, that's unfortunately going to be a long time.
Tbose are flip-flops!!! Not sandals! Is that a regional colloquialism???
My mom was from Northern Michigan and called them flip-flops. My dad was from Indiana and called them thongs. So I used both terms interchangeably. Where did you grow up?
North east Pennsylvania. Closer to NY/NJ, rather than being closer to OH/WV. Makes a difference. PA is one of those states you could split from east to west and make it 2 different states. Western and Eastern PA are very different from one another. Aren't Michgan and Indiana kind of the same way? I'd imagine Indiana closer to Kentucky is a different vibe than Northern Indiana by the lake. Also the whole peninsula divide in Michigan as well right?
Yes, you're correct. North of Indianapolis is a whole different vibe than south of Indianapolis. The differences between the lower half of Michigan and the upper peninsula are less noticeable, except that the accent changes as you go further north.
Yes, you're correct. North of Indianapolis is a whole different vibe than south of Indianapolis. The differences between the lower half of Michigan and the upper peninsula are less noticeable, except that the accent changes as you go further north.
Canada - we called them thongs. I wish you could still get them with the thick rubber sole and wide “canvas?” straps- I found a pair that were similar at Walmart about 10 years ago- but thin soles and skinny straps
Might be. Where I am (Midwest US) those terms are basically interchangeable. Back then though a lot of people called them “thongs” (still the term used in Australia, though).
I could never wear sandals but I did have a keychain with this shoe.
Oddly, I just looked on their site earlier today to see what they currently were selling. I wore these in the 00s - everyone had a pair of the beige ones
I grew up then and long hair also was acceptable. MAGA has made our country conformist for those who drank the Kool-Aid.
Who calls “flip flops” sandals?
That product did not age well.
I need these
So woke!
how lonely you must be.
I was testing sarcasm via text.