No, not footwear:
A “flip-flop” (used mostly in the United States), U-turn (used in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Pakistan), or backflip(used in Australia and New Zealand) is a sudden real or apparent change of policy or opinion by a public official, sometimes while trying to claim that both positions are consistent with each other. Often it will occur during the period prior to or following an election in order to maximize the candidate’s popularity.
East Devon Watch 