Are sandals for men always naff?

[tobee]

I have a teen boy who just spends summer in socks and trainers. It seems hot and a massive fag to wear socks all the time. So I look for sandals every year for him but they always seem kind of awful selection wise.

I've tried giving espadrilles type shoes to wear without socks but "they rub". I think flip flops would be a similar no go because of toe posts even if they were the coolest ever pair.

Am I just looking in the wrong places?

My 2 were happy in sports sandals but yes everything else is horrid.

Aren't sliders 'in' this year (don't ask me. I've been on trend exactly twice in my life and both of those were by accident).

Are sliders like flip flops but with a wide band instead of toe post?

I'm not sure what sports sandals are exactly?

I’ve yet to see a pair for men that aren’t naff, I’m afraid.

I’d disown my DH if he put a pair of sports sandals on 😕

Yes that's it OP.

Sports sandals

Ah, yes I thought that's what sports sandals were.

Seems they're a bit divisive too!

No, I think that when it's really hot they are the only appropriate footwear - but not to wear in the office, etc.

Yes always!

Yes, because most have awful feet.

I'm certainly not a fashionista but I'm extremely judgy about men's sandals. I can't help it.

Crocs?

Flipflops

They have awful nails.

Could go down the root of socks and sandals of course.

I like these men's Birkenstocks. My DH has a pair which he takes on holiday, although tbh he doesn't wear them much at home. The likes of TK Maxx, TJ Hughes etc sell them cheaply enough, Amazon would be my third choice after those two.

www.amazon.co.uk/Birkenstock-Arizona-Unisex-Adults-DunkelBraun/dp/B000MSW2BK/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=mens+birkenstock&dpID=41NpPj%252BGa0L&preST=SX395_QL70&tag=mumsnetforum-21&ie=UTF8&qid=1527951726&dpSrc=srch&sr=8-1

I don't think I've ever seen grown men's sandals that weren't naff except the very rare pair of leather flip-flops, but the feet and nails need to be in perfect condition which for some reason so many mens' are strangely shaped and yellow (or worse). Even my 4 and 6 year old DS's toenails, which we keep clean and groomed are really strangely shaped already

My DH wears boat shoes with no socks in the summer, my DBrother is partial to a pair of Toms or cotton slip-on espadrilles.

We're on holiday and DS, and most other boys/men have these on, cheap and it appears the in thing! Google 'Adidas Duramo sliders!'

I really love the boat shoes look, but DH lives in teva's on holiday. The first time he wears them after a long winter in shoes and socks, we take a packet of compeed (invisble plasters) just in case, but don't usually need them.

https://www.teva.co.uk/men

Come to think of it, we both wear terra fi lite leather, which are not aggressively sporty and work for city pavements and trails. I feel sorry for people wearing closed shoes in lovely summer weather. Fresh air is very good for feet.

You see the trouble with a lot of these sliders/flip flops is they look fine for beaches, poolside, al fresco dining etc but not so much for walking. Not so much for walking around town.

I guess it just has to be socks and trainers trainers no socks too smelly. Socks and summer seems a bit miserable. Ds washes his own but they look a bit miserable. Even with trainer socks.

Sorry that was a tediously repetitive post.

My teenage girl wouldn't be seen dead in sandals anymore, and looking at my teenage students' feet, they are 100% clad in Converse, Vans or Superga, while the boys are all in trainers.

They'd probably wear sliders or flipflops to the beach, but that's it.

Birkenstock Arizona's are pretty cool (I think) for teens. DS (16) would definitely wear them (though he's not a particularly bothered about trends kinda guy). And Birkenstocks are brilliant once you break them in (doesn't take long). Perfect for holiday because they can be worn on the beach, out to dinner, walking around town. You can walk forever in Birkenstocks. But I advise wearing them in the moment you get them so that by the time you're on holiday, his foot has moulded its shape into the floor of the sandal.

They wear adidas sluders with sports socks here and I remember that wasn’t cool when I was cool

Dd 17 yo will do a closed toe espadrille

I’d disown my DH if he put a pair of sports sandals on.

DH wears Teva Hurricane sandals during the summer.
I walk ten paces ahead and pretend not to know him when he does the annual unveiling of his Holiday Look.