Swedish word of the day: foppatofflor
Love them or hate them, foppatofflor are unexpectedly coming back in to fashion. But what are they, and how did they get their Swedish name?
Foppatoffla - foppatofflor in plural - is the Swedish term for Crocs - plastic sandals or clogs which first became popular in the early 2000s.
The word foppatoffla is made up of two words. The first is foppa, which is the nickname of one of Sweden's most successful ice hockey players, Peter Forsberg. The second half of the word is toffla, the Swedish word for "sandal".
Foppatofflor, the Swedish term for Crocs. Photo: Janerik Henriksson/Scanpix/TT
So, what does a famous Swedish ice hockey player have to do with plastic clogs?
The story begins in the early 2000s, when Forsberg was recovering from a foot injury sustained playing professional ice hockey. When looking for a shoe comfortable enough for him to wear without exacerbating his injury, he came across Crocs, which were designed to be comfortable and ergonomic.
Recognising the shoes' potential, Forsberg became an early investor, securing the sole rights to distribute Crocs in Sweden through his company Forspro. But Forsberg didn't just invest in the shoes, he also appeared in adverts for them, leading Swedes to start referring to the shoes as foppatofflor.
By 2010, sales of foppatofflor were dwindling, so Forsberg shut down Forspro to focus on other investments - but not before the name had stuck.
Peter "Foppa" Forsberg. The man you can thank (or despise) for introducing Crocs to Sweden. Photo: Erik Simander/TT
The shoes are still popular as ergonomic and hygienic work shoes, particularly in the healthcare sector, although they were briefly banned in some Swedish hospitals on suspicion of causing a build-up of static electricity which disrupted hospital machinery.
They may also be coming back into fashion, gracing the Oscars red carpet and the Instagram feeds of musicians such as Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande and Pharell Williams in the last few years.
So, love them or hate them, foppatofflor seem to be here to stay. Now you know what word to use if you decide to pick up a pair for yourself this summer.
Example sentences:
Jag har precis köpt nya foppatofflor till barnen - de är ju så praktiska!
I've just bought new Crocs for the kids - they're so practical!
Gud, är foppatofflor verkligen trendiga nu? Bra att jag har kvar mina från 00-talet!
God, are Crocs really trendy now? Good job I kept mine from the noughties!
Villa, Volvo, Vovve: The Local’s Word Guide to Swedish Life, written by The Local’s journalists, is now available to order. Head to lysforlag.com/vvv to read more about it. It is also possible to buy your copy from Amazon US, Amazon UK, Bokus or Adlibris.
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Foppatoffla - foppatofflor in plural - is the Swedish term for Crocs - plastic sandals or clogs which first became popular in the early 2000s.
The word foppatoffla is made up of two words. The first is foppa, which is the nickname of one of Sweden's most successful ice hockey players, Peter Forsberg. The second half of the word is toffla, the Swedish word for "sandal".
So, what does a famous Swedish ice hockey player have to do with plastic clogs?
The story begins in the early 2000s, when Forsberg was recovering from a foot injury sustained playing professional ice hockey. When looking for a shoe comfortable enough for him to wear without exacerbating his injury, he came across Crocs, which were designed to be comfortable and ergonomic.
Recognising the shoes' potential, Forsberg became an early investor, securing the sole rights to distribute Crocs in Sweden through his company Forspro. But Forsberg didn't just invest in the shoes, he also appeared in adverts for them, leading Swedes to start referring to the shoes as foppatofflor.
By 2010, sales of foppatofflor were dwindling, so Forsberg shut down Forspro to focus on other investments - but not before the name had stuck.
The shoes are still popular as ergonomic and hygienic work shoes, particularly in the healthcare sector, although they were briefly banned in some Swedish hospitals on suspicion of causing a build-up of static electricity which disrupted hospital machinery.
They may also be coming back into fashion, gracing the Oscars red carpet and the Instagram feeds of musicians such as Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande and Pharell Williams in the last few years.
So, love them or hate them, foppatofflor seem to be here to stay. Now you know what word to use if you decide to pick up a pair for yourself this summer.
Example sentences:
Jag har precis köpt nya foppatofflor till barnen - de är ju så praktiska!
I've just bought new Crocs for the kids - they're so practical!
Gud, är foppatofflor verkligen trendiga nu? Bra att jag har kvar mina från 00-talet!
God, are Crocs really trendy now? Good job I kept mine from the noughties!
Villa, Volvo, Vovve: The Local’s Word Guide to Swedish Life, written by The Local’s journalists, is now available to order. Head to lysforlag.com/vvv to read more about it. It is also possible to buy your copy from Amazon US, Amazon UK, Bokus or Adlibris.
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