Bathing shoe
Slippers (depending on model and beach sandals called and colloquially as slippers , -schlappen or -schlapfen (Austrian) known) are water-resistant shoes for the bath - or sauna area or for the shallow waters of the sea shores.
They are made of plastic or rubber , usually have a sandal-typical open shaft with a wide strap over the back of the foot or with a toe separator as a so-called thong sandal . The latter type of model is also known as flip-flops . Bathing shoes are primarily intended to prevent slipping on wet floors and protect the wearer from direct skin contact with the athlete's foot spores and thus from infection.
There is also a form of bathing shoe that completely encloses the foot, which is mainly worn on beaches (also called beach shoes or swimming shoes ). This closed shape is used to protect against skin injuries to the feet by sharp stones, mussel shells or jellyfish in the shallow water of the coastal area.
As a result of fashion and the low retail prices, open bathing sandals have also been able to establish themselves as slippers and as summer sandals substitutes for leisure time.