Sandal season has arrived, in case you hadn⿿t noticed. Which means that it⿿s time to:
A) Change up your
pedicure polish.
B) Hit the streets in search of the season⿿s
gladiators,
wedges, and espadrilles.
C) Buy some Band-Aids for those inevitable new-sandal blisters.
Fortunately, your friendly fashion editor (me) knows how to skip that last step. Or rather, I know who to ask for tips on avoiding wardrobe injuries and other clothing conundrums. Allow me to introduce you to New York-based accessories designer
Rafe Totengco, the creator of
The Most Comfortable Sandals In My Ever-Expanding Closet. Hoping to glean some of his accessory expertise, I caught up with the chic cobbler to get his take on safe sandals, footwear faux-pas, and more:
Rafe Totengco
When shoe shopping, what should one look for to identify a well-made sandal?
Comfort is key. Make sure they hold your foot in place. Sometime slides have a tendency to shift your feet when the straps aren⿿t placed correctly. An ankle strap is always more secure.
What type of shoe is the most comfortable?
Whatever the style is, a slide or a thong, having an ankle strap is always more secure. Get a 3/8" heel at minimum, but a low wedge is the best.
What style of shoe is the trickiest to design/produce & why?
Anything with ornamentation because those styles tend to be more delicate and are often attached by hand. The process is tricky because depending on how rough you are on your shoes, you could lose ornaments within the 1st day. Thongs are hard too, because nobody has the same length of toes and depending on the way they are constructed, they could hurt.
What are your thoughts on matching shoes & bag?
I always say, "Coordinate". I think matchy-matchy is a thing of the past. I think it⿿s chicer to wear a black bag with a brown sandal or a white bag with a silver sandal. As long as your colors coordinate you can use your shoes, or your bag to add that extra OOMPH to your outfit. But never both, because then you don⿿t know what to look at.
Rafe⿿s Lexington Caroline Small Shoulder Bag
What materials or combinations were you most excited to work with this summer?
Patent leather and cork. Shine against matte. Something luxe with something humble. I love contradictions.
Say I⿿m buying a new summer heels, but I⿿d like to still wear them through the fall: What⿿s your top pick for a shoe to take me thru till next season?
My black patent loafer wedge: Wear them with opaque tights when the weather starts to cool down.
What do you consider the top sandal faux-pas?
Cracked nail polish! Everything else is in context to someone⿿s lifestyle and a personal statement. But bad grooming is simply unforgivable.
If I could only buy one pair of sandals for spring, what should they be & why?
My ⿿Rachel⿿ denim low wedge espadrille. I⿿ve been told by everybody it⿿s the most comfortable shoe. The wedge is 2 1/4" high, so it⿿s just enough to give you a little lift without straining your calf muscles. Who can say no to that?
Lastly, who is your ultimate sandal style icon?
Jackie Onassis in Capri pants and thong sandals⿿vacationing in Capri of course.
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