Slippery history
If Hawaiÿi has an official shoe, it is the rubber slipper, also known as the rubbah slippah. Sometimes called thongs, flip-flops, go-aheads, or zori, with variations in materials that can take the style to the heights of fashion, the slipper is obviously related to the Japanese geta.
But ask any local when the ubiquitous rubber slipper appeared in the Islands, and you’ll probably get a blank look. Real old-timers, after they think about it a bit, will tell you they don’t remember wearing rubber slippers during their childhood.
It took a scholar who has worked at Princeton University and the National Museum of American History of the Smithsonian Institution to search out the origin of this familiar footwear. Edward Tenner, in his fascinating book Our Own Devices: How Technology Remakes Humanity, traces the development of the rubber slipper from an ancient design to the traditional thong sandal worn by Japanese children to the modern flip-flop. Tenner says “the manufacture of thong sandals on American soil appears to have begun in Hawaiÿi during World War II,” when, due to a shortage of raw materials, the firm of Scott Hawaiÿi switched from making rubber plantation boots to rubber sandals. Cool and light, rubber sandals proved popular among sailors in the Pacific theater. Meanwhile, Japanese soldiers in Southeast Asia were cutting up worn-out tires to make zori.
In the decade after the war, Tenner says, slippers made of natural, synthetic, or recycled rubber spread around the world, perhaps one of the early products of a recovering Japan. They appealed to beach-goers, bohemians, and the poor. And in Hawaiÿi, practically everyone has at least one pair, leading to famous pileups near the front door from which many a party-goer has accidentally selected the wrong set of slippers at the end of a convivial evening.
Some suggestions for living on an island.
Appreciate the different cultures in Hawaiÿi. It’s a privilege and a joy to live in a place where many different cultures coexist so peacefully.
Take off your shoes before you enter someone’s house.
When you’re invited to someone’s home for a party or a meal, ask, “What can I bring?” In general, it is good manners to take something when you visit someone. And it is not considered polite to return an empty container—put a little treat, perhaps some fruit from your yard, into those dishes to return to last night’s guests.
Almost every gathering (including business meetings) includes food, usually far more than is needed, and often guests are sent home with leftovers.
Be polite. Be the first to smile. Be humble, not pushy. Do not cut in line. Do not make rude comments about other people’s unusual tastes in cuisine.
Don’t mock the ghost stories you may hear. There is a strong local tradition of spooky stories and reliance on ritual.
Remember that we are guests and newcomers in this place. Come here to enjoy the differences and to appreciate the similarities among people. Watch, listen, and learn. There is probably a reason for the way things are done here, and no one appreciates the out-of-state newcomer bent on showing everyone how to get things done. Pitch in and help make Hawaiÿi a better place to live.
