Hnyat-phanat is a Burmese traditional sandal. Although it refers to almost any sandal worn by the people of Myanmar

Myanmar

Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....

, it is mostly used to refer to the traditional Mandalay velvet slippers that originate in Upper Burma (Myanmar).

Hnyat-phanat literally means 'clip footwear', since the slipper is held in place by the clipping of the big and second toe.

Design and style

The slipper is very simple and is worn by almost everybody in Myanmar. It consists of a flat sole held loosely on the foot by a Y-shaped strap that passes between the first (big) and second toes and around either side of the foot. The main distinguishing feature of Burmese traditional sandals is the material.

The flat sole is plain with no patterns or designs. It is either coated with fine soft lacquer or velvet

Velvet

Velvet is a type of woven tufted fabric in which the cut threads are evenly distributed,with a short dense pile, giving it a distinctive feel.The word 'velvety' is used as an adjective to mean -"smooth like velvet".-Composition:...

( gadiba), and the same goes for the Y strap. The colour is usually either brown or black for the lacquered ones, but can vary substantially for the velvet slippers. Velvet sandals are traditionally worn at formal occasions like weddings.

Burmese sandals do not have any grip or friction on the lower side of the sole, and are thus not suitable for use in wet conditions.