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What’s the inverse of a dad sneaker, a platform Croc, or any other certifiably “ugly” shoe? You might assume the answer is a stiletto—but for most women in 2018, a spiky heel isn’t a real solution. We’d argue that a walkable, ultra-minimalist, neutral-tone sandal is the elegant footwear we need right now—though finding the perfect pair is another thing. Unlike a clunky Dansko clog or a purposefully dirty sneaker—in both scenarios, the clunkier and dirtier, the better!—the ideal sandal is perfect for the things it isn’t. For instance, unlike gladiator sandals that snake all the way up your calf or feel needlessly complicated, Emme Parsons’s have just three small loops—one for your toe, two to anchor the straps to the footbed—and a thin cord to wrap delicately around your ankle. In black, beige, gold, and lilac, they’re a no-brainer with vintage jeans, yet feel “dressy” enough for a cocktail dress. For those of us who want something even simpler—a sandal you can literally slip into, with no ties or buckles to fasten—Parsons designed a slide version, too, so the effect is almost that of being barefoot. Almost. Going barefoot is not the aspiration of any city dweller, hence the padded, slightly thicker sole on all of Parsons’s shoes.
Marais’s new Lee sandals are similarly chic and restrained, echoing the style of the woman they were named after, Lee Radziwill. With a skinny strap across the toe, a no-fuss ankle strap, and a half-inch heel, they’re decidedly unflashy, yet meticulously considered. “I often find myself wanting to look more pulled-together, without feeling dressed-up,” designer Haley Boyd tells Vogue. “These are my solution to this predicament. They’re low-key because they’re flat and minimal, but also appropriate to wear to dinner.” She quietly announced their arrival on Instagram earlier this month, and comments quickly trickled in from excited shoppers. A few simply responded with emoji hearts in the same lime green shade as the Fava sandals (they also come in apricot and black), and one woman wrote: “You finally made the perfect ankle-[to]-toe-strap ratio, with a walkable heel! I have been looking for these for YEARS, many years!”
Despite the thousands of sandals on the market right now, many of us have similarly-exacting standards—we zero in on the strap width, the heel height, the suede quality, et cetera. On that note, I’ve spent most of my summer looking for plain X-strap cognac leather sandals to replace a beloved J.Crew pair I bought years ago and have worn every summer since—with cropped pants, denim cutoffs, silk midi dresses, and everything in between. I lacked the foresight to get them resoled, and needless to say, they’re finally on the brink of disintegrating on the sidewalk. I’ve looked everywhere for an alternative, but haven’t found one that quite fits the bill; the straps are either too thick, too thin, or the color is wrong. So I wrote a shameless plea to J.Crew in an Instagram Story, asking them to please (pretty please!) remake the style. (The brand has been reproducing classic knits, rugby shirts, and swimsuits from the ’80s and ’90s, so it wasn’t that wild of an idea.) They’ve yet to write back—perhaps they didn’t see my post!—but friends, colleagues, and followers I’ve never even met quickly DMed me their suggestions for similar X-strap sandals. (ATP Atelier, Ancient Greek Sandals, and COS all came up, but I’m still on the hunt.) A few even seconded my wishes for J.Crew to reissue my sandals, including the stylish illustrator Jenny Walton, who pointed out that she wore the exact same pair in a photo by Scott Schuman that became popular on Pinterest in 2015.
Jess Hannah, the chic jewelry designer behind J.Hannah, sympathized with my hyper-specific wish list. In lieu of suggesting a lesser version of my favorite sandal, she passed on the link to Anita Patricikson’s new company, Amanu, which offers handmade custom sandals to fit your foot (and the lengthy wish list of a professional fashion fan). I’m tempted to fly to Los Angeles just to try out the service; not only does Amanu offer great leather X-strap sandals, but also makes chic gladiators with ultra-skinny straps, classic thong sandals, velvet-wrapped slides, and several other pared-back styles. As the saying goes, if you can’t find something, make it yourself—or at least find a really good shoemaker.
