Today in History

1957 Morris Yock trademarks the jandal

Inspired by footwear he had seen while travelling in Japan, Auckland businessman Morris Yock and his son Anthony began manufacturing this simple rubber footwear in their Te Papapa garage in 1957. The name 'jandal' combined the words Japanese and sandal.

There is some dispute over whether or not Yock actually invented the jandal. The family of a Taranaki man, the late John Cowie, claim that he began manufacturing a plastic version of the traditional woven-soled zōri (Japanese sandal) in Hong Kong in the late 1940s and that it was he who came up with the name 'jandal'. According to them, Yock only imported the jandals and applied for the trademark in 1957. (John Cowie moved to New Zealand about a year later). Maurice Yock's son Philip disagrees – he says his father learnt from manufacturers in Hong Kong, and that because of New Zealand’s import licensing in the 1950s he had to make them here.

The jandals were initially manufactured by Jandals Ltd using rubber imported from Hong Kong; J. Yock & Co. arranged distribution. Skellerup took over the supply of raw materials and eventually bought the business in 1987. Skellerup subsidiary Viking Footwear took over the name in the 1990s, and today it is owned by Sanford Industries.

During the 1980s and 90s the brand came under threat from cheap imported imitations. In response the owners threatened legal action to protect the 'Jandal' trademark: the original jandal sets itself apart with its specific rubber formula. Ironically, these days even the genuine article is imported – since the late 1980s the jandal has been manufactured in Malaysia.

One interesting 'fact' about jandals is that more left-footed ones seem to wash up on our beaches than right-footed ones – a 23-year study of Northland beaches found that 70% of washed-up jandals were left-footed. Why this might be is open to conjecture – one theory is that it is to do with the way (predominantly right-footed) New Zealand boaties launch their boats, leaving their left foot in the water while they push to get afloat.

Their relatively low cost and suitability to the New Zealand summer lifestyle have ensured that jandals continue to be popular today, though they are not nearly as prevalent as in the early 1980s, when Kiwis bought over one million pairs a year.

The first National Jandal Day was held on 7 December 2007 to raise funds for Surf Life Saving New Zealand. 

Image: Beachcombing - Jandal (Te Ara)