It’s been super warm in Melbourne the past couple of days, and I have to admit that I’m not a massive fan of the heat. Aside from preferring not to stick to every dang surface, and being uncomfortable sleeping if I’m not wrapped in a doona, I don’t do sandals well; I’m a boots’n’jeans kind of gal. So, I’m trying to find some shoes that I think I’ll enjoy wearing when it gets hotter (although I’m certainly not one to shy away from just chucking on my boots and jeans and pretending it’s not hot while sweat beads on my forehead and I dream of Greenland).
Here are some bits and bobs that work for me – and some that aren’t necessarily my style, but might work for you.
My first port of call for sandals is generally the men’s section of Solestruck. Weird, yes, but they usually have some options that definitely look more unisex than manly, and they’re not those flimsy lady-sandals that have flowers and strappy bits and things that this Stomparella can’t quite pull off (not that there’s anything wrong with those).
These are the Lo Res Earth from United Nude, currently only US$79.95 on sale (though that’s more like about a gazillion Australian dollars at the moment). I think they’re totally fine for a lady – cool colour, a bit different but still gender-neutral enough to work.
I also really want the Himalayan sandal by Bernhard Willhelm x Camper (remember I bought those rad high-tops by this collab?), but they’re out of stock! It’s probably for the best, though, because what the heck would I wear them with? Why do I even like them? Who knows… but I do, OK?
For something a little more traditional (and black), Solestruck also has the Sentinel from Monster for US$134.95, but I’m always really wary of the leather sandal thing, because men’s can be quite wide and flipper-y, and I feel they can come off quite masculine. These have some embellishments and a shape that I think could work, but it’s hard to tell without actually putting them on a foot.
I also had a look at Willow Shoes, from New Zealand, because I think they get some really great stuff in from time to time. At the moment there’s not much there in terms of sandals that I think I’d wear (the below, by Everybody, are inverted quotes “sandals”, but I think we can all agree that I like them because they’re about as boot-ish as a sandal can get…).
They also have some great brogue-style shoes that I think would work with a pair of cropped pants (no, not a cropped pant) for work, or with a cute dress on the weekend. These are by Bresley, and they come in black or silver (silver is a good option for hotter months – reflecting the heat like a boss).
In Oz, The Shoe Garden has some pretty sandals for the more girly among us. These I like – I think they’re spunky! They’re called Isabella Swift, they’re A$155, and they go up to a 44. If you don’t dig the leopard, you can also get them in plain red or black (but go on – get the leopard!).
The Isabella Palmer is also quite cool, and odd (but normal is boring, says Tyra). You can get these in this combo, or a silver/black, and they also go up to a size 44. They’ll set you back A$145.
I kept Shoes of Prey until last, because honestly I knew I’d get stuck there. I designed about 349 pairs of sandals (a conservative estimate), and here are a few. Some are relatively normal, and some are a bit bizarre, but the thing with Shoes of Prey is, you can make normal or batcrackers crazy and you’ll be the only ones wearing them. They also have pre-designed options, but where’s the fun in that, eh?
I think the most expensive of all of these is A$220, and you can get sandals for as little as A$129, and that’s custom-designed. And did I mention that they go up to a size 49? If you haven’t been to this site yet, DO IT. Be warned, though – you’ll be there a long, long time. This post has taken me days.
Oh, and tomorrow the weather’ll be back to freezing (good old Melbourne), so I’ll be back in my boots, stomping around.
Stomparella 
