If you trace the history of flip-flops in America, it really began in Japan, after the Second World War, and it's importation of product to Hawaii. We have a very significant Japanese-American population here, so flip-flops have been a part of Hawaiian culture for generations. In Hawaii, we called them 'Rubba Slippas" (pidgin for rubber slippers). Over time, the popularity of flip-flops spread throughout the country.My point is that there are no more qualified people in this country to judge the quality of the 'Rubba Slippa', than those who were born in Hawaii. As a native-born citizen in Hawaii, I must admit that these "rubba slippas' are some of the best I've ever worn. Amen.