Sanuk, the Thai word for fun, was founded 1997 by Southern California native Jeff Kelley when he started making sandals out of indoor-outdoor carpet The first product created was green carpeted and entitled the "Fur Real" after one shop owner asked if the novelty sandal was "For Real." The Fur Real first became a runaway hit through boutique stores and not the intended surf shops. The novelty act was followed up by a sandal wrapped in wire mesh, a leopard print version, and styles made out of a poncho material in a variety of colors. Sanuk has grown to include style options for men, women and youth and is distributed across the United States and in over 50 countries throughout Europe, Asia, South America and Australia.