man sandals
May 12th, 2009 @ 6:12 pm | miscellany | Post a CommentWith our Italian beach vacation (I will never tire of those three words) looming, we set out this weekend on a quest to find my husband some decent looking man sandals. You know, mandals. Due to the inherently gross nature of mens’ feet, mandals are not exactly the sexiest thing to shop for. But they are sexier than watching an otherwise hot guy walk around in 90 degree weather in tennis shoes and bright white socks.
Mandals come in a few different forms. Let’s discuss.
The “athletic” mandal: Usually made by a brand liek Teva or Keen, these have lots of straps, rubber, and….boy I am going to get some weird Google searches for this post, aren’t I? As nice as these are, they sort of scream “AMERICAN TOURIST” to me, which we are trying to avoid. Also, they’re kinda expensive!
Crocs: No need for further discussion, because these are just a big fat no in our house. (Even though my DC-BFF wears them, and I continue to love her.) See below for examples of old men who do not wear crocs well.
Flip-flops: I personally love flip-flops, and I even forced my husband to wear them for our wedding. Super hot photo, right? Well, he complains that they are massively uncomfortable and has never worn them again, 2.5 years later. Would anyone like to purchase a pair of worn-once men’s flip-flops?
The generic mandal: Now we have reached the section of blah, generic man sandals. I’m not even sure how to categorize them. They’re ubiquitous at your neighborhood Kohl’s. Like these below.
We ended up with Choice A on the left side (right foot) for a whopping $29.99. What do you think? And, please, ignore the man capris (manpris). I made him pull up his pant legs to look like shorts. We were totally the classiest people at Kohl’s.
Is there a mandal out there I’m missing? What does your husband/boyfriend/brother/hot neighbor wear? Will we look good in Italy in Paris? There’s still 23 days to buy something else…not that I’m counting or anything.
My husband wears Rainbows. They are a little uncomfortable at first, but once the leather forms to your feet, they are super comfy!
written by Jackie
May 12th, 2009 @ 6:20 pm
My husband has two pairs of mandals that you didn’t mention. I don’t know if either would be good for a European vacation. The first one he has is the Birkenstocks – never with socks as the crunchy guys from high school and college wore – but classy with a nice pair of shorts: http://www.birkenstockusa.com/products/men/sandals/arizona/dark-brown- leather/75143
and then he also has a pair that he brings where ever we travel although I hate them – the soccer sandals: http://www.reebok.com/US/#/product?modelId=30033123&articleId=R179337
written by Emily
May 12th, 2009 @ 6:31 pm
I agree with you that mandals as a whole are just kind of… ick. But I do think your final choice is pretty inoffensive as far as mandals go, and honestly, you’ll be on a beach in ITALY!!! You will not care what is on his foot when you’re lounging by that perfect blue water
written by Angela Noelle
May 12th, 2009 @ 6:47 pm
The picture of former President Bush in Crocs made MY eyes hurt, too. Just… NO.
George wears mandals very similar to Choice B (your husband’s left foot), but only when he has to.
Yay for the ITALIAN BEACH VACATION!!!
written by Melissa
May 12th, 2009 @ 7:03 pm
My man wears Airwalk flip-flops. He looks hott in them, & says they’re as comfy as clouds. You can buy them at Payless, too ! Here’s the link : http://tinyurl.com/o65wzr
written by Kathleen
May 12th, 2009 @ 7:19 pm
My husband Adam and I had the exact same problem when we went to Europe last summer. We ended up getting him some generic Tevas that didn’t look fantastic, but were comfortable enough he could walk all day without having sore feet. As far as being dressed up enough… It always felt like a lost cause to me. Europeans know how to dress!
written by Heather
May 12th, 2009 @ 7:24 pm
I like Keens and the like to be honest. Touristy or not you have to remember COMFORT! They’ll know you’re tourists anyway! Lol. Enjoy your adventure with finding the perfect mandal!
written by mel
May 12th, 2009 @ 8:43 pm
I think sandals on guys often look terrible, especially because their toes are always so gross. (I hate feet.) If you really want to “fit in” in Europe, I would recommend a sneaker-style shoe like those Merrell makes: http://www.zappos.com/product/7459747/color/8968
They’re certainly more than $30 but they’re comfortable and great for walking around town in. You can use the sandals you guys bought at Kohl’s for any time when your feet might get wet (boat ride, walking through a stream in the forest, that sort of thing).
Wanna be extra Euro? Wear black athletic socks with your shoes (the short kind that barely show, not like trouser socks). No one in Europe wears white socks.
Another tip: If you’re a waterless hand sanitizer user, use it in stealth mode in Europe. I’ve been told by my relatives there that using hand sanitizer SCREAMS American.
Have fun!!!
(Oh, and yes, I know I mentioned that I’d update my blog with wedding crap…I’m still working on it…*sigh*)
written by Liberal Banana
May 13th, 2009 @ 4:53 am
Tim refused to wear flip flops for the longest time until for some reason he had to buy a pair in a shoe emergency situation (I think we had walked somewhere far from our hotel on our honeymoon, his mandals were falling apart and giving him blisters, and he was so desperate for new shoes for the walk back that he settled for flip flops). He got a pair with a cloth strap (rather than leather or Old Navy rubber) and has never complained about flip flop discomfort since. So, the point of this story is, you may want to see if you can convince your man to try some different varieties of flip flops, and maybe you’ll be able to win him and his feet over.
written by Audrey
May 13th, 2009 @ 6:16 am
JG is all about the flip flop, but his are leather, with a real sole. You know what I mean? He also has a pair of “nicer” leather sandals for like, church … and other things. I have no idea, clearly.
I suspect I may be guilty of rocking the mandal because of my love of the Teva with the ankle strap. It’s like a sneaker! That you can walk through the water in! I sacrifice style in favor of comfort/support/grippiness in situations when I have to hike or scramble over rocks.
written by RA
May 13th, 2009 @ 6:38 am
Oh, men’s feet. Kind of gross and yet…
So, Husband usually goes with the black or brown leather Kenneth Cole. Nice with shorts, nice with khaki’s. And the husbands says they’re pretty darn comfortable.
(Excuse the ridic URL.)
http://www.bluefly.com/Kenneth-Cole-Reaction-black-leather-‘Play-Off’- sandals/cat190078/300825901/detail.fly?referer=ca_froogle&cm_mmc=ca_fr oogle-_-na-_-mens_shoes-_-300825901&CAWELAID=291033366
written by Korinna
May 13th, 2009 @ 6:58 am
I would totally have gone with the Keens… I dont think they look touristy (as long as he doesnt wear them with socks, that changes things to very touristy). He can wear them hiking, in the water, on the streets, and depending on the color you get, even out to dinner (nothing fancy)!
written by Hannah Hawley
May 13th, 2009 @ 7:24 am
My husband has had a variation of these sandals every year (they are the ONLY mandals I can stomach. I hate man feet):
http://www.target.com/Merona-Rhys-Leather-Slide-Sandals/dp/B001TIA6S8/ qid=1242225158/ref=br_1_5/188-9362401-4865124?ie=UTF8&node=16313431&fr ombrowse=1&pricerange=&index=tgt-mf-mv&field-browse=16313431&rank=pmra nk&rh=&page=2
He is also the first man I dated that actually wore sandals – that’s totally weird! I guess maybe because he lived in Texas and it’s too damn hot for anything else!
written by TUWABVB
May 13th, 2009 @ 7:34 am
I have a well worn-in pair of two-strap, suede leather classic Birkenstocks that I swear by. They look great with almost anything, comfort beyond belief, and have lasted for years and years. Yup, they cost $85 at the time, but I’ve had them for, like, 8 years and they’re still very serviceable. Well worth the extra dough.
written by Nathan Pralle
May 13th, 2009 @ 7:46 am
My husband wears Birkenstocks. They’re pretty versatile and he finds them to be quite comfy. I like the Kohl’s option that you chose as well.
written by Kara
May 13th, 2009 @ 8:36 am
My husband has a ‘fisherman’s’ version of the kind your hubby bought. Just please tell me he doesn’t wear jorts (jean shorts). I cannot stand when my husband wears those!!!!! And man-pris look good on no man…especially Justin Bobby when paired with black and white striped socks and work boots (from this past week’s Hills episode).
written by Jen
May 13th, 2009 @ 8:51 am
1. Thanks for the tips of things to do on our vacation!
2. Shawn usually goes with the sport sandal, though not the ones with the covered toes–he likes the ones that look more like the generic mandal but they’re still made by Teva and what have you.
written by Katina
May 13th, 2009 @ 11:11 am
I like the first kind but my hubby only wear flip flops.
Have you seen the Facebook group called “I Don’t Care How Comfortable They Are, Crocs are #$%^&*@# Ugly.” You should join.
written by the ambitious mrs
May 13th, 2009 @ 11:41 am
my fiance always refused to wear sandals, but two summers ago i got him to try a pair, they were old navy fake leather, and the strap stretched so it was hard to keep them on while walking. the next year, we tried two new pairs – skechers, which most of his regular shoes are, and clark’s, which all the other guys here swear by. he looooves the clarks and actually wears them on a regular basis – says the sole is comfy and the strap is just tight enough. so, maybe he just needs to try different brands?
written by charise
May 13th, 2009 @ 12:21 pm
I like the final choice. And I like the wedding sandals, too. Jason doesn’t own a single pair of man sandals. It’s a tough shopping expedition. I think Andrew is rockin’ the man-pri’s!!
And PAH, footwear schmootwear, you’ll be in EUROPE! Drink a few glasses of wine, and I guarantee that footwear will be the last thing on your mind.
(I wish you were stopping in London.) x
written by alyndabear
May 13th, 2009 @ 2:42 pm
i like what you went with, doesnt he already have those Keen sandals?
Make A wear the flops to our wedding!
written by alexa
May 13th, 2009 @ 3:44 pm
Whatever you decide to go with, the ultimate thing you have to remember is that the shoes better fit right, feel comfy and be supportive. SERIOUSLY. I just came from a two-week trip to Italy and Spain and while my tennis shoes were comfy and cute, they weren’t super supportive for anything more than light city walking – you don’t understand how important comfy and supportive is over cute until you’ve worn out your shoes and developed arch issues for the first time in your life just by merely trying to “see” Italy. By day 2 going through the ruins, I was ruined. Or maybe I just on a forced march through Europe…that could’ve been the culprit as well. :-p
written by Bellacantare
May 13th, 2009 @ 4:42 pm
how can he not love flip flops? i mean really, they are awesome. luckily matt loves them too so no problem finding mandals for him, haha. but i do like the sandals you went with for the hubs, and yaaaay for italy! so exciting!
written by katelin
May 13th, 2009 @ 4:55 pm
in sarah’s opinion, there is only one acceptable mandal — chacos. they aren’t as chunky or clodhoppery as a keen and they aren’t all lit up with velcro like a teva. and most importantly, unless your name is hans van deutschland and you drink your “café mit cream” (or you are still touring with the dead), you should not be wearing birkenstocks.
written by megan
May 13th, 2009 @ 10:50 pm
Wow 24 comments!! J doesn’t like things between his toes, and also hates socks and shoes that tie, so he usually wears the non-thing flip flops/sandals. Crocs makes some that aren’t quite as offensive that he wears, but honestly I don’t pay much attention because there are so few things that he will wear. Otherwise it’s the usual Nike/adidas beach flops. The nice thing about crocs is that they are easy to clean and smell-resistant.
written by Erika
May 14th, 2009 @ 3:48 am
Dude seeing Andrew in pulled up pants is enough to keep me laughing for days. The ones you chose are definitely the better of those two. Would he not go for some classic Jesus sandals?
Flip-flops are cute but I agree – not very comfy for walking.
At least he’s not wearing black socks and Tevas.
written by amieable
May 14th, 2009 @ 3:46 pm
Italy sounds so much exciting, I don’t really believe the concept of mandal but the generic ones look okay. Rather than those two pictures above it
written by andhari
May 15th, 2009 @ 11:48 am
i’m a preppy girl at heart – Rainbows or boat shoes (Sperrys!) on my men.
written by Jessica
May 16th, 2009 @ 4:44 pm
We are having a horrible time purchasing mandals. The hunt is on every single year. Ted has size 15 feet, so we can’t just pop into a store and find sandals that fit. Right now he has a pair of Birkenstocks, but that’s it. He’s desperate for a pair of flip-flops he can just throw on…but we’re not willing to pay $100 for them.
written by Erin
May 16th, 2009 @ 6:05 pm
Tim won’t wear mandals.
He has a pair of reefs that he has worn a few times…
I recently got him to throw out a pair of his OLD Adidas sandals that he used to wear EVERYWHERE.
GROSS
written by Julie
May 26th, 2009 @ 1:13 pm
I think the ones you bought look nice. Edgar will wear the J. Crew flip flops, but they aren’t good for walking long distances. I’d like for him to get something like you guys just bought. Appropriate mandals are so hard to find.
written by Lindsey
May 31st, 2009 @ 7:42 am
The guy I just started dating wears hiking boots with thick woolly socks. With shorts. In the middle of summer. He is otherwise awesome, so I tolerate it. But if I’m still dating him next summer and know him better, I am going to mock him mercilessly and then take him shopping for mandals.
written by sparklytosingle
June 23rd, 2009 @ 9:43 am