Originally published in The Daily Hampshire Gazette
For much of the year in New England, feet hibernate. For many slow, cold months, we mummy them with warm socks and rugged boots, only sliding them out for at-home slippers or exercise sneakers before re-booting.
But now, in fits and starts, it’s finally warmish out, and feet are emerging from their slumber, tentatively and then definitely, like bears wandering through local yards. This means it’s time for boots to get shoved to the back of closets (hallelujah!) and lightweight shoes and sandals to rise to the top of the rotation.
Oh, sandals — to me, these are the trickiest footwear to get right. As a Western Mass mom now, I’m looking for comfortable, of course — I’m walking a dog in the mud, chasing a kid everywhere, hustling through towns. The sandals I’m seeking can’t bind or rub or cut, but I’m not willing to sacrifice my inner native New Yorker’s need for style. They have to be cute, nay, sexy-ish, elevating my summer wardrobe of unfitted dresses and shorts and tees. My chic, writer friend Robyn advised me: “Beware of wearing boxy, loose-fitting dresses with boxy Birkenstock-style sandals. Unless, of course, the dress hits at mid-thigh — then you can wear whatever footwear you want.” Noted. It’s about balance.
Always on-trend
Humans have been sliding into this minimalist footwear for a long time — one of the earliest pairs of sandals, made of sagebrush bark, being found around 10,000 years ago in what’s now Oregon. Of course, the ancient Greeks and Egyptians wore sandals, made of varying combinations of papyrus, fabric, leaves, leather and/or wood. The Greeks carved intricate designs into theirs.
Fast-forward to summer of 2019, and the Greeks might recognize some of the hottest trends being touted: starting with a simple brown or black leather slide. These are on Vogue’s list as an “It” sandal of summer. But other, even bigger trends would be Greek to them: Teva, queen of the practical, synthetic water sandal favored by hikers, has refreshed its line with color-blocked webbing, platform soles, and it even has a “Universal Pride Flatform Sandal,” a rainbow-stacked platform with black straps. How amazing would those look walking across Northampton’s rainbow crosswalk?
Other companies are taking the memo and making Teva-like sandals in many colors and materials and heights — chunky black pairs are popping up like forest mushrooms after all this rain. This trend might be good news for folks who live in these parts and want to nod to hipness and still be able to run errands. (Though maybe save the ultra-high ones for short nights out?)
Some of the other sandal trends of 2019 are decidedly unfriendly to my lifestyle — but, yum. Think: super-strappy, barely-there sandals with ropes of thin or thick leather; 1970s-style wedges; and ’90s-style stacked heels.
Think Vogue, shop local
A poke around Northampton’s shops revealed many of these current sandal trends. Synergy, one of my fave places for footwear, has a solid selection of soft-footbed shoes like Taos sandals, which would qualify as a leather slide. Store manager Terri Pajak, says they have stealth Velcro under the buckle, perfect for her many customers with bunions — a decidedly not sexy but important sandal-related consideration. Plus, Synergy has some mini-wedges that are selling like cray — like the Myrna by Kork-Ease. Amid their traditional Birkenstock collection: glam copper and silver Arizonas caught my magpie eye. Metallics are sparkling everywhere this summer. Other standouts: Tevas (including an old-school pair with stars and suns), platform Crocs, adjustable Chacos and Adidas-style slides.
Over at Refinery in Thornes, store owner Suzanne Bagdade is obsessed with sandals by the historic Swedish brand Troentorp. They’re handmade and have a wood base with a leather criss-cross vamp, a low, sturdy heel, and they come in multiple shades — some custom to the store. “I’m addicted,” Bagdade told me, pointing to her Troentorped feet. “I wear them every day — they’ve got integrity, quality, and history.” Also: so cute.
At Ode Boutique, the small but elegant shoe selection is a range of classic tan, black and cream neutrals. Favorites are a stacked-heel, raffia Seychelles slide; a high pair of patchwork Kelsi Dagger sandals; and flats with a touch of gold by vegan brand BC.
Down the road at Strada, store owner Anna Bowen notes that 2019 footwear is all about color. “Research says that people are more drawn to color as we loom toward a recession,” she said. “Looking at the (shoe) market, we’re in for a doozy.” The color-filled shop has some adorable Gabor wedges in red, blue or black with sneaker-like soles and wide suede straps (want!); persimmon-colored Wolky wedges; espadrille-inspired wedges; and Aras (a Birk-like brand) in metallics, and one in red, white and blue. When they see the colorful selection, “Customers say, ‘This shoe just makes me happy,’ What’s good for the sole is good for the soul,” Bowen said with a smile. “Who knew you could get all that with a shoe?”
Seize the sandal day
I did. It might seem so fluff, but we wear our feet everywhere. And we have a full bird’s-eye view of them. A recent survey of my own sandals was not pretty. A Marie Kondo-inspired purge a few falls ago didn’t leave a lot. There are squashed flip-flops; a stained, well-loved pair of black Campers; and more promisingly, a neon pink pair of four-year-old Birkenstocks and red Salt Water sandals from Refinery a few years ago.
It’s time to shop local and up my sandal game — those Gabor wedges at Strada are still calling me. They’re not crazy pricey, but enough for me to agonize, as I do, over the choice. But then I think of how elated the right sandal makes me feel, summed up by this blast of carpé sandal-em from the poem “Warning” by Jenny Joseph: “I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves/And satin sandals, and say we’ve no money for butter.”
