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29 March 2011
Hello, internet friends. I am soliticing your opinion . . specifically, your opinion on sandals. Even more specifically, sandals on me, jason's_planet. Yay or nay?
"Sandals" is such a wide category, especially once you start factoring in location. Some sandals that would be great at the beach would be lousy at the opera. But overall, I say "yay" to sandals- attractive sandals, mind you! I guess that's the Floridian in me.
I'm assuming you're a dude. If that isn't true, than this advice does not hold.
I like a nice, solid (think fisherman's) sandal on a man in casual situations. Nice, sturdy (leather) flip-flops can also be attractive. Birkenstocks seem unpolished - too granola or something. Teva-type sandals are good if you are more granola in style.
Whatever you choose, take care of your feet! Trim toenails, don't let the calluses get too out of control, etc.
I think flip flops with jeans can work in some cases. As far as sandals go, I like flip flops on guys. The Velcro Teva sandals have their place but I basically hate them unless you are doing an activity that requires Teva sandals.
Other leather sandals are good, too. I think they can look great with shorts and chinos. I don't know about nice leather sandals with jeans. I would have to see it but my mind says no.
If you're in a casual vibe, flip flops are a go with jeans. A lot of people will disagree with me but I live in flip flop nation and it's not a big deal.
Not a fan of guys in sandals, unless they are closed-toe. Until we had a neighbor move in who wears flip-flops daily, I didn't even know I felt this way. Now I feel pretty strongly about it. Not a good look.
Esthetically I'm not a huge fan...but I can't imagine keeping my feet under cover all summer! The first day I don't have to wear socks is a happy day. Just keep your feet non-gross and don't wear them anywhere fancy.
What about sandals with jeans? What do you think?
No. Just. No. This is almost as bad as socks with sandals.
Sandals on men are fine, I think - I wear them all the time in summer and I don't care what people think about how my feet look. Not that my feet are particularly gross, apart from a strange-looking right big toe with a toenail that is split and grows in two different directions as a result of an industrial accident (turns out thongs/jandals/flip flops are not a good substitute for steel-cap boots! Who knew?).
Yeah man, sandals are cool! Even with jeans! They're comfortable, and unless there's a construction site in your neighborhood and there's crazy amounts of gravel all over, there's nothing to worry about. I have a 13-year old pair of covered-toe Birkenstocks that don't count because they've never been outside, and a nice pair of Keen flip flops that well, you gotta get used to a thong between your toes but they're built tough and mighty comfy. I wear them with jeans and look cooler than any naysayer's wettest dream.
I'm with BoPo. I once taught a class in sandals--IBM360 assmbler, it was, (a long time ago, as you might imagine) and someone complained. (It was at NYU).
What makes people think other peoples' feet are so important? Why even expend the energy to form an opinion? Are people constantly looking down, or something?
- if you care what people think (I don't) then location is important. I live in florida. In the summer you stick out more if you're NOT wearing sandals or flip flops.
- Flip flops with jeans? In florida? Yes if you're just hanging out.
- Teva? Only if you're doing something athletic. Otherwise, eww.
- Close toed sandals? God no. Might as well wear shoes.
Are people constantly looking down, or something?
Shoes are one of the first things many people notice, so... yes. And in my opinion, shoes often make or break a look.
Again, not that I care what people think of my shoes, I'd wear what i want. But it's true.
obama's sandals are the "maybe" sandals (the sort of masculine leather ones, in general) ... but not with jeans. i'd risk torture or deportment or whatever to tell him that to his face.
if it's so hot that you need to wear sandals, then it's too hot for jeans - rule of thumb.
no jeans. no flip flops with jeans. no tevas. no dating in sandals. anyone who tells you different JUST WANTS YOU TO FAIL.
The whole sandals thing. Hrm. I personally don't give a shit and if you don't, then go for it. But be aware that there is a big subset of people that will judge you for it and if you care about that, then factor that in to your decision.
Whatever you do, remember two things.
1) Buy quality shoes. No knock-offs.
2) Have confidence.
Guys in sandals look stupid because they buy the first thing that looks like it won't make them look wussy and then proceed to look wussy because they're so self-conscious. And boy howdy, when your shoes are falling apart or don't look like they fit properly, you've got even more reason to look self-conscious.
Most guys I know prefer the kind of sandals that stay more securely on your feet. It depends on how you want to wear them, but Keens and Chacos are pretty much appropriate anywhere. If your feet fit Birkenstocks (they have a fairly specific shape that requires a bit of breaking in), the ones with the back strap are pretty standard too.
And think about getting a pedicure for a nice clean start. My dad has giant gnarly man-feet, and he went along with my aunt one time and liked it so much that he's been back a couple times. No need for foofy smells or anything.
So....flip flops or thongs?
Well, the civilised world calls them 'jandals'. In Australia, they are called 'thongs' and what people in the US call a 'thong' is called a 'g-string', which may be why those people call them 'flip-flops'.
the part that goes between your toes is the thong
Hmm, I think you're wearing this wrong.
Let's not get started on 'chilly bin' vs 'esky' vs 'cooler'. Not to mention 'fanny' ...
Yes to men in sandals (of any type).
Yes to Jason in sandals.
Yes to sandals in jeans/casual trousers.
Yes to keeping your feet tidy when you wear sandals.
Flip flops are called flip flops (although I like jandals and may steal it).
I have no idea what chilly bin or esky or cooler means. Eskie (diff spelling) is a nickname for American Eskimo Dogs (my dog is half Eskie).
FWIW, your toes do not (unlike mine) resemble dinosaur claws and so would stand up to public scrutiny. And believe me, women on the subway look at people's toes and secretly criticise the pedicures of other women and the general grossness of many of the toes put on public display.
Have you thought of something in between a sneaker and a sandal - the sports sandal? I have a pair and they are comfortable and keep my feet cool whilst at the same time not exposing my yellow talons to the world.
I don't understand. Isn't the name "thong" short for "thong sandal," a reference to thong as it's often defined, "a leather strap, frequently used to tie something to something else?" That's always seemed to me to be the part of the sandal that goes between my toes and keeps them on my feet, but maybe you're mocking me for some other reason. Please explain.
I am firmly in the "sandals looks weird on men everywhere but the beach" camp, as well as the "no sandals with jeans unless they have high heels" camp. I despise flipflops in every context, even the few places flipflops were designed for, such as pedicure spas and public showers.
Hugh, in Australia a thong is one of those g-string swimsuits that men with cute butts never wear, only old, old men with skin like leather and saggly wrinkly old-man flat butts seem to wear them. If you look at them too long you go blind (or wish you had).
The rubber things with the little toe posts that go on your feet are flip-flops.
Yes to sandals
No to sandals and jeans
Yes to manly pedicure (no polish) before first wearing of sandals so people don't scream when they see your callouses/dead skin/overgrown nails
No to flip flops when not at the beach
Yes to leather sandals in the city
Well sure, Senyar, I mean I understand that meaning of thongs, I thought I was fairly clear; I just wondered what dg was on about with the "wearing this wrong" comment. I'd like to think there's some actual substance behind it, which is why I wanted an explanation (as you can see, dg's understanding of what Australians call a thong is at odds with your own, which is possibly part of the confusion) otherwise it's some inscrutable personal dig that bugs me more, the more I think about it. I'm pretty immature though, so maybe I should just go for a walk and stop thinking about it. It's always the little things, isn't it.
So....flip flops or thongs? I can't call them thongs. They will always be flip flops.
Where I grew up, we always called them go-aheads. Someone calling them thongs or flip flops indicated that this someone was not from around here.
We were very provincial and possessive of our beach (even as our family was making a living, largely off tourists). "TOURist" was about the most perjorative epithet we had, and we (my sibs and associates) reserved it to fling at someone who was really demonstrating bad behavior, according to our west-of-PCH standards.
I'm startled by all the male-sandal naysaying. Boy, I just don't look at other people's feet that carefully. I have no complaints about other people's sandal use.
(Also, people who are offended by rough feet had best avert their eyes from mine come summertime. I WILL wear sandals, whether I bothered to buff my feet or not.)
What danf says is true: don't forget to put sunscreen on your instep. Youch, that's an inconvenient spot to burn.
Cheap flipflops are the only acceptable cheap footwear. I like Greek fisherman sandals on guys, or Tevas. Tevas do, however, make your feet stinkier. Anyone who exposes their toeses must trim the nails and, preferably the heel calluses. No exposed feet that make you look like you're about to revert back to werewolf. Not sexy. You should wear footwear in which you can walk, run, dance, and do other fun things.
Actually, I admit to being equally negative about women with grody feet (read: not pedicured, possibly ever) in sandals. And I confess to routinely checking out shoes nd feet.
Also, I think Pres. Obama -- who was raised in Hawaii -- looks great in his sandals and Matt McConaughey's whole persona is sandal oriented but I must admit I'd be more persuaded by pics of more regular people in sandals.
Also, here's my worst sandal story ever: the wedding I attended where the groom insisted all the men, including him, get to wear black and white sandals with their formal wedding outfits. I really wished for a 911 line to summon the Fashion Police.
I didn't think I was the kind of person to notice, but I saw a woman in dress sandals this week who had very obvious heel cracks, and it wasn't a nice look. I don't know if it hurts, but that looks painful to me.
I say yes to men in sandals, especially stylish leather ones, when the feet are appropriately tended. I say yes to sandals with jeans, because every year I'm desperate to get out of shoes in spring and to prolong sandal-wearing as far into the fall as possible (and don't care if my feet get cold). I say no to flip-flops on anyone in public anywhere but the beach or pool.
Actually, I admit to being equally negative about women with grody feet
I know many people have that feeling, and you're entitled to it... but I think it's easy to overlook how ablist and gendered that judgment can be.
- not all of us are able-bodied enough to give ourselves regular pedicures;
- not all of us can afford to pay for professional pedicures;
- not all of us care want to uphold the highly gendered standards of beauty LITERALLY all the way down to our toes.
If people have a problem with my occasionally-rough, always-ugly feet, they are welcome to look away, or to gaze in fascinated repulsion, or to jabber in horror like the protagonist of a Lovecraft tale. They are not able to make me feel bad about wearing the shoes of my choice.
Just to be clear: not picking a fight, just clarifying a different opinion and my reasons for it.
In fact, since I was injured, I've been surprised to find that a lot of beauty standards require not only a willing participant but an able-bodied one. I now hate getting my hair cut, because sitting in the chair always manages to tweak my back no matter how careful I am. As a result, I'm often pretty shaggy. More intrusive salon treatments are out of the question, even if I wanted to submit to them and/or to pay for them.
I can totally understand why people want to engage in these beautifying/prettifying/smoothing rituals themselves, and sometimes they feel great. But there's a big difference between doing it oneself and judging someone else for not doing it.
And again, to be clear: I spoke up in part because I respect and like all of the people participating here, and a difference of opinion with people you like and respect is often a great way to learn. I've certainly learned a lot from people here.
If people have a problem with my occasionally-rough, always-ugly feet, they are welcome to look away, or to gaze in fascinated repulsion, or to jabber in horror like the protagonist of a Lovecraft tale.
should make the upcoming Portland meet-up UNMISSABLE.
Sorry, I was trying actually to admit that I am even steven toward the genders as to my opinion about how gorgeous the untamed feet of each look in sandals.
I absolutely love you, Elsa, and to me fashion is a playful thing, not a basis for actual value judgments about other people's worth or personal beauty. I think a lot of unconventional and unfashionable people are beautiful, whether or not they fit popular standards, because of who and what they are.
I love clothes, hair, jewelry, dress, perfume, and opinions on said things, but it's all fluff and frivolity as far as I'm concerned, and nothing anyone should take at all personally. I appreciate the people, male and female, who devote themselves to the causes of fashion and beauty, and the time and seriousness many invest -- e.g. Tim Gunn -- but it isn't earthshaking stuff as far as I'm concerned. (I'm pretty sure the original question wasn't meant in deep seriousness either.)
Love back! Love back! I'm so glad you didn't feel that I meant it as an attack or a scolding, because that was ABSOLUTELY not what I intended --- just an opening up of the discussion.
Yeah, thanks, Elsa. I thought you did a good job of making your point in a thought-provoking, non-attacking way, and it got me thinking about why I feel so casual about tossing off opinions about clothes and such. Ultimately, for me, it's a low value non-issue what other people think about my style choices (home "pedicures" in blue or green and counting on my hair to dry by the time I get to the office in the summertime, for instance), so I tend to declaim my own opinions as if the same goes for everyone. Or to put it another way, I tend to think, "Why would anyone care what I think of their appearance? It's not my body." But of course you're right - there are all kinds of gender, class, ability, etc functions tied up in my opinions and preferences, and not everyone shares my attitude. I wouldn't say something with the intention of trying to make someone feel bad about something they're wearing, but I appreciated the reminder to check my assumptions.
I've been surprised to find that a lot of beauty standards require not only a willing participant but an able-bodied one.
Really interesting - I hadn't considered the able-bodied angle. And also, they require one with discretionary income. Right now in my working life, I'm surrounded by people who get regular manicures and pedicures, skin treatments and massages, waxing and plucking...I just can't do it. I make a ridiculous monetary sacrifice for my hair, because my hair just doesn't look adult and professional if I don't keep it pretty trimmed up regularly, and even so I cringe when I spend the not-insignificant amount of money it costs. Earlier in the recession I read some article about the hair being the last thing a lot of women would cut from their budgets, because it's sort of make-or-break as far as whatever image you are trying to have goes.
I also remember when loved ones were in the hospital, how much they appreciated getting the beauty treatments, shaves, and haircuts that volunteers offered.
Just read a good Sarah Vowell essay where she signs up for a "Goth for a Day" type of experience, and has a personal epiphany as they fuss over her, doing her hair and makeup, that that sort of thing can be love made palpable, as opposed to a shallow and controlling exercise in conformity.
I just made a men's sandal post on my blog that you might be interested in.
Neat! Thank you! Not sure if I can swing $495 for a pair of sandals but I'm sure to find someone who's ripping off that designer's ideas and selling them for cheap.
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