Advice on high-end sandals

Neo1824 · Oct 7, 2007

Originally Posted by rach2jlc

I'm not really sure why you're all about going the bespoke route for sandals. There are TONS of great makers out there that will be just as good. Sandals are sandals and from constant wear are going to fall apart sooner than regular shoes... there isn't just a lot there to go into them to justify paying a premium price for "bespoke" or expecting them to last "a lifetime." My cheap $15 Clark sandals fell apart after wearing them all summer; my $300 Loewe sandals are heading down that route, too, even though they're very well made. It's just that there isn't much there to hold together. From cheapies to the best, they are all going to be a few pieces of leather glued and sewed onto a footbed. Yes, some will be better than others, but it's not the same differences as a pair of shoes from Payless vs. Edward Green. As Socal said, it's a bit out of season now and so your search is going to be more difficult, but if you head over to Bergdorf's, Barneys, etc. during season, they'll have dozens of makers at all price points for you to try out and see what you like. I think you'll see that at the top-end there really isn't all that much difference in terms of how they are put together. The differences will be mostly cosmetic. Finally, BV is an excellent suggestion... they're relaxed, luxurious, well made, but still stylish enough to be dressed up or down. It sounds as though perhaps your experience with this is limited, but the selection of sandals to be had is immense. It's not just "crap or bespoke," in between the two are many, many things that will be certain to fit your needs/desires/budget.
Assuming it were in season.. where can you normally find BV sandels?

SoCal2NYC · Oct 7, 2007

www.bottegaveneta.com

erdavis · Oct 7, 2007

Don't mean to seem conceded, but sandals by definition aren't high end.

I don't think whether you buy $50 sandals or $2,000 sandals you are going to get much sartorial respect.

So don't get hung up on the value of this investment, there isn't a lot of "wow factor" to be had.

After all, when was the last time someone said "Is that a John Lobb Flip Flop you are wearing? It is stunning, just look at the finish!"

-eric

mr monty · Oct 7, 2007

Alligator sandals? Do look any further!

http://www.buccixchange.com/advanced...ords=&x=10&y=8

http://www.celliniuomousa.com/script...i_Sandals.html

SoCal2NYC · Oct 7, 2007

Originally Posted by erdavis

Don't mean to seem conceded, but sandals by definition aren't high end.

I don't think whether you buy $50 sandals or $2,000 sandals you are going to get much sartorial respect.

When did something have to garner sartorial respect to be high-end?

Neo1824 · Oct 7, 2007

Thanks SoCal.

I really like these

http://www.bottegaveneta.com/shoponl...8080b81&page=2

mr monty · Oct 7, 2007

Originally Posted by erdavis

Don't mean to seem conceded, but sandals by definition aren't high end.

I don't think whether you buy $50 sandals or $2,000 sandals you are going to get much sartorial respect.

So don't get hung up on the value of this investment, there isn't a lot of "wow factor" to be had.

After all, when was the last time someone said "Is that a John Lobb Flip Flop you are wearing? It is stunning, just look at the finish!"

-eric

Not all sandals are flip flops. These are made by Loob? Sartorial respected?

http://www.johnlobbltd.co.uk/catalog...rap_sandal.htm

LabelKing · Oct 7, 2007

Originally Posted by mr monty

Not all sandals are flip flops. These are made by Loob? Sartorial respected?

http://www.johnlobbltd.co.uk/catalog...rap_sandal.htm

I wonder how much those things are.

Infrasonic · Oct 8, 2007

Originally Posted by LabelKing

I wonder how much those things are.

About Â£2.5k, no discount for sandals as far I'm aware..With a few tweaks to the design I'd quite like those Lobbs. Wonder if G&G could do a copy

I

TCN · Oct 8, 2007

Jesus Christ, it's a footbed with a few straps sewn on. If you spend more than $300 on them, I've got some Picassos hanging on my fridge that I'd love to sell you.

rach2jlc · Oct 8, 2007

Originally Posted by TCN

Jesus Christ, it's a footbed with a few straps sewn on. If you spend more than $300 on them, I've got some Picassos hanging on my fridge that I'd love to sell you.

I actually agree. As I said above, beautiful or cheap, they won't last forever if you give them a lot of wear. They're hard to maintain, even in addition to the lack of materials there to keep them sturdy... you can't insert shoetrees, you can't really polish/oil them, nor can they really be resoled. As well, many of the best sandals use soft/delicate leathers, which scuff very easily. To mention my Loewe sandals again, they are soft, supple, and very comfortable (Loewe is sort of the Spanish equivalent of BV), but every time I wear them I come home with them looking more and more worn, like I've been playing football in them instead of sitting at a table eating lunch.

So, go with whatever your budget allows, but just keep in mind that you won't be wearing these in ten years, unless you wear them twice a year only.

mishon · Oct 8, 2007

Originally Posted by Neo1824

Thanks SoCal.

I really like these

http://www.bottegaveneta.com/shoponl...8080b81&page=2
These do look nice. I may have to look into these also as my John Varvatos sandals are slowly falling apart. It would be nice to see the sole on these though; I only like flat leather soles on my sandals.

Advice on high-end sandals

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