ShoeSense

To mandal or not to mandal?

My opinion about mandals is usually mixed. The mix consists of about 99% resounding "nooooooooooooooo!!!!"s, and about 1% cautious "maybe"s.

This is not because some man's sandals happen to look like these Cazabat slides (be honest: would you let your male significant other wear these?), but because I often see, peeking from underneath a man's slide, examples of pedicure that trigger my gag reflexes. I know that more men choose to get professional pedicures these days, and I can only applaud the trend, but really, more men should jump on that wagon.

On the other hand, if you have a man by your side and allow him to wear mandals, it is your duty as a conscientious partner to make sure your man is well groomed before he goes out. If you don't tell him, who will?

Also, if one must wear mandals, he should make sure not to choose hideous ones, of which there are a-plenty. He should ask for the opinion of the Manolo. He should double-check with his partner. When in doubt, or he couldn't make it to that pedicure, he should choose a fisherman's style sandal--breathable, but providing plenty of coverage. I'm not crazy about mandals in general, but a tasteful one worn sparingly during the hottest or most laid-back of days will meet with general approval here at Scarpediem's quarters.

And, by all means, whatever you do, avoid the Crocs like the plague.

posted by Cristina Hanganu-Bresch @ 1:55 PM