With raindrops falling and the season suddenly changing into fall, I had to do the unthinkable this week.
Wednesday morning when I woke up to go to work, I had to cast aside my beloved flip-flops and put on tennis shoes!
I honestly don’t recall the last time I wore closed-toe shoes, other than dress shoes for a couple of weddings this summer, and it really made me depressed to have to reach into my sock drawer for the first time in months.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the occasional rainy day where you can snuggle up with a loved one on the couch and watch movies all day, but I think I love my sandals as much or more.
I’m not sure what it is about having that comfortable pair of sandals by the door ready to slip on at any moment, but when I looked out the window and saw raindrops the size of eggplants coming down, I knew it wasn’t going to happen. Sandals and Newport Beach go hand-in-hand, if you ask me. They fit the culture here so well that you’d be hard pressed to find a single person in our entire city that doesn’t own at least a single pair. Some people even have separate pairs for different occasions such as beach sandals, walking sandals, biking sandals, and even dress sandals.
(Just to be clear, when I say sandals I mean flip-flops, not Tevas. I’m choosing to simply look the other way on Teva-wearers right now because there are just too many things to ridicule there.)
Personally, I go with a moderately priced pair of Reef sandals with soft foam bottoms – that, over time, conform to your footprint – and a wide, cloth strap on top. I’ve never liked those plastic or hard rubber sandals because they’re very uncomfortable between my toes. Rainbows are nice, and the leather feels good on your feet, but I’m just not willing to shell out $50 or more at Jack’s for sandals.
Color is another important attribute in picking a pair of sandals. Black and brown seem to be the most popular. However, if you find yourself in the store wanting a pair of white sandals, do yourself a favor and pass since they’ll be scuffed and look terrible after just a few weeks of wear.
Also, try on the pair you’re thinking about buying and walk around a bit in them to make sure they don’t sound too obnoxious. They should have that fun flip-flop sound, not clicking or slapping. It might seem ridiculous as you read it here, but believe me, you’ll start to notice it now that I mentioned it.
Hopefully the weekend will provide a break and let me put the sandals back on, but until then, they’ll be waiting by the door like a sad puppy waiting to go out for its walk.
Now we have my purchasing guides for trunks (NBI, Aug. 13) and sandals, so next time, sunglasses!
