Sandals are a...

• A. Public good
• B. Private good
• C. Club good
• D. Common good

Answer: (B)

Classification of goods relies on two features: excludability (can you prevent someone from using it) and rivalry in consumption (one person's use reduces another's ability to use it). Sandals fit private goods because they are excludable—you must pay to own or use them, and ownership restricts others from using that specific pair. They are also rival in consumption—one person wearing a pair means another person cannot wear that same pair at the same time.

Public goods are non-excludable and non-rival, so they can’t be owned or charged for. Club goods are excludable but not fully rival (access is restricted, but many can use it without reducing others’ enjoyment until capacity matters). Common goods are rival but non-excludable, like grazing land you can’t easily bar people from using. That combination of excludability and rivalry is what makes sandals a private good.