There is no corner of the clothing gamut that hasn't been mensweared. Traditionally, the different sectors were mutually exclusive. The sweats didn't meddle in the business of tailoring, for example, and high fashion kept its beak out of sportswear. And it was all priced fairly linearly - T-shirts were cheap, tailoring was expensive. But now everything has been elevated; everything has been Yassified. And yes, 'everything' includes sandals, which were previously just the things you wore when it got really hot, but are now just as hypey and stylish as everything else.
The paragraph might have freaked you out, sorry. It was intended to illustrate that there is more opportunity than ever to impart your personal style on the world. Even flip-flops, the least sexy shoe ever conceived, can be a fashion statement. (An extremely loud statement of malicious sartorial intent, perhaps, but a statement nonetheless.)
Beyond the requisite pool slides and gladiator sandals, there now such things as 'tech mules' (Suicoke). And water clogs (Merrell), and luxury jelly shoes (Gucci), and don't get us started on the transcendent power of the hybrid trainer-sandal (Keen). The very good news is that this new well-ventilated smorgasbord is available to every budget.
"I actually have a bit of a personal phobia of sandals" says Thom Scherdel, menswear buyer at Browns Fashion. "I’m usually the random guy wearing Common Projects on the beach, however I love buying them [for Browns Fashion]. We try to buy sandals that aren’t just super high end, more of an everyday piece and not just prescriptive to beach or seaside wear. At Browns we like them to be statement, to look good with jeans, trousers or shorts and feel like they are a really important part of the look rather than a holiday necessity."
In terms of styling, the sandal is more malleable than ever, and they are not reserved for the beach alone. Sleek leather sandals can be dressed up with a suit (but, maybe get a pedicure first) and slides have long since been suitable for the real world, not just the sitting room. Anything too techy might be tricky to make 'smart' but there's no reason why you shouldn't try. Sandals are made for warm weather, and warm weather is a precursor to good vibes, so why not wear a Hoka mountain sandal with a tux?
Socks, though, are still a sticking point. There's something about the combination of textures that makes it so hard to pull off. A sock with a Birkenstock mule? Absolutely, knock yourself out - go full Nørrebro. But a sock with a Teva adventure sandal? That's bold. Maybe too bold. But hey, socks have been Yassified, too, so who are we to keep them in the dark?
