Have just about got this pattern down.

Wanted a sturdier sole for slippers, since every pair I have made wears a hole in the bottom quickly. Flip flop soled patterns got me thinking about the tatami sandals that were popular when I was a teenager with their rectangular bottoms. Made a double sided sc rectangle about the size of my foot, and added a ribbed front and back post dc top. Will make notes on this last pair that seems the best so far. Can’t verify sturdiness yet. I found that leaving tails showing instead of working them in as I go helped keep me oriented.

Tried both ways, but double sided crochet works better starting with chain stitch over foundation sc. This best so far bootie (about a 7-8) in Super Saver begins with a G hook chain 12 in black. Work 11 sc across, ch1. Turn. To establish double sided stitch, slide hook under nearest loop of bottom chain and nearest (front) loop of last sc worked. Will take a photo of that in a lighter yarn, but didn’t seem to be a point to trying to photograph the black. Work a total of 11 sc across in this manner. Ch1, turn. At this point, it should be easy to see where the hook needs to go. Work a total of 11 rounds this way, then drop (do not cut) sole yarn and pick up top to work middle stripe. Work one round (both sides) in top color - this slipper uses “fall” - then drop (do not cut) and resume with sole color for 11 more rounds. Fasten off.

Pick up top color and orient rectangle in landscape position. I turn it naturally so that the fastened off row that needs to have the double sided stitch closed is facing me. Will also try to take a photo of that in a lighter yarn. Yarn over with the top color left dangling from the base and work 10dc along edge beginning in sole color. Quarter turn and work sc into first stitch, then 9dc along edge, end side with sc. Continue around working 10dc into sole color row ends, one into stripe of top color. Repeat for other half of sole, ending with dc into stripe. Do not join. Calling this the base.

Pattern spirals around to avoid a join showing. I work one boot toe first, and one heel first. Heel is just alternating front and back post dc. Just going to describe toe first boot. Both can be made the same.

Work dc around the post of the first dc from the front (fpdc). Work dc around the post of the second dc from the back (bpdc). Continue around ignoring sc stitches. The stripes will have bpdc stitches. Second row is exactly the same without the sc to skip. For the third row, to begin toe shaping. work only the front posts skipping the back posts around to the stripe (I count 15 on my finished boot) then resume alternating pattern. Stripe bpdc stitches on both sides are beginning and ending of heel. Fourth row: still working under posts from the front, dc2tog(fpdc2tog). To work a dc two together, yarn over, put hook under post, yarn over and draw through, yarn over and draw through two loops on hook, but don’t complete the dc. Instead, repeat for next dc, THEN draw through all three loops on hook. Work fpdc2tog until you get back to where you have bpdc stitches (7fpdc2tog) then resume alternating fpdc/bpdc with next fpdc. Fifth row: work fpdc under each fpdc2tog then resume alternating pattern.

Keep repeating the last two rows until there is a single fpdc in front. Work as far as desired. I find that four rounds after the last fpdc2tog is a good lenght. You can stop anywhere, but I like to end at the instep where I began the rows with an bpSC into the last bpdc i work and a slip into the top of the next fpdc. Fasten off.

Weave in ends, including the ones that don’t show, because they do want to pop out.