Zori refer to Japanese sandals made from rice straw or lacquered wood and are worn with a kimono for formal occasions. However, Japanese traditional footwear is not seen that often t hese days, as it is usually only worn with other traditional clothing. Zori's design is quite similar to "flip-flops". In fact, most fashion historians agree that flip-flops first appeared in the United States sometime around World War II, as rubber imitations of the Japanese wooden thongs long worn in Japan.
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