Let's see your non hideous sandals then!

[Lottapianos]

On every thread where someone posts a picture of sandals to ask for advice, theres always a chorus of 'hideous', 'granny', 'fugly' etc. So please share some photos of sandals that you think are nice, stylish, chic, non-stomach-churning, whatever. Bear in mind that many of us need sandals to be comfortable and suitable for lots of walking. I promise no snarky comments!

Meant to say Birkies soles are way too clunky

28 pages and finally an actual conversation about what consitutes a “pretty” sandal!

Yes but still no analysis of why comfortable and stylish can’t coexist for women’s footwear, I cannot imagine this conversation happening about shoes worn by men. Men too have footwear that looks stylish, but the sacrificing of comfort doesn’t seem to be an essential part of it. Why do we accept this?

Meh. I'm usually up for a feminist rant/debate but not on this I'm afraid.

Women's shoes are designed for aesthetics over comfort, women are conditioned to take pride in our appearance, the same does not apply to men or men's shoes, because patriarchy.

Now show me some gorgeous sandals please

As I get older my willingness to be in pain or have my movement restricted in ways that don’t apply to men (and which are policed by women) has greatly decreased.

Sandals can be pretty or stylish. Pretty, flat strappy sandals are my favourite, especially in metallic leather.

Stylish sandals are usually minimalist like the Cos or Jigsaw ones.

Some sandals cross the line between fugly/and stylish like Birkenstocks but it's a very fine line indeed- one wrong step and you're wearing Hotter sandals which are NEVER stylish!

Yes but still no analysis of why comfortable and stylish can’t coexist for women’s footwear, I cannot imagine this conversation happening about shoes worn by men.

I think because the patriarchy and heels basically. Because so many women have harmed their feet with heels discussion about sandals always include the words plantar fasciitis and bunions. We have been taught to value our appearance more than men so we care more (FWIW stylish is not the word that ever comes to mind when I look at the shoe choices of my male colleagues). And because women's clothes shoes (particularly sandals) expose more of the foot than men's sandals there is nowhere to hide. There also seems to be more pressure on a woman's sandal than any other style of shoe to fufill lots of functions. So they have to be pretty enough to look stylish when you go out for lunch but at the same time comfortable enough to climb a mountain. You'd never say a pair of Oxford brogues were not comfortable because you couldn't climb a mountain in them. This is after all predominantly a discussion about flat shoes that don't restrict the feet, they are inherently comfortable unless you have foot problems (which are more common in middle age women because of heels).

Are heels really to blame? I wore heels for most of my adult life but never, ever shoes that hurt. Painful feet are something I just won’t - and never have - put up with. As a result my feet are in really good nick, no bunions or corns.

For me comfortable sandals are those I can walk in all day and that will accommodate a bit of swelling by the end of the day. That means no elastic, no thin straps, preferably adjustable. That rules out most “pretty” sandals which is fine by me because they don’t suit my look. Stylish as defined by @Fresca is where I’m at.

The word ‘pretty’ makes me shudder 😂

I just bought these..are they fugly?

Mens's sandals all fall into the ugly category- most don't even own a pair full stop!

I wanted some chunkier soled sandals & bought these. Don’t think they are too fug

Therefore, if you want to be equal with men just wear ugly, comfy sandals and forget about style, or have hot feet like men who are style conscious and stick to a pair of trendy trainers or some boating shoes in summer.

To hell with that! When it comes to how I look equality doesn’t enter the equation. It really isn’t about that for me, I won’t have painful feet for anyone. There seems to be an impression here that there’s no alternative to either pretty or hideous and there really is. There have been lots of sandals posted here from Jigsaw, Cos and Toast that manage to avoid being either.

It’s not just what you wear but how you wear it. Pedicured feet and painted nails lift everything. No matter how pretty the sandals, corns, hard skin and yellow toenails are going to make them look hideous.

fancynancyclancy I linked to that soft sole range from Ancient Greek Sandals earlier on this thread, I bought these from Matches (10% off with the app). Soooo comfortable. I realise lots will say they are too expensive, but they are so well made. I have other AGS sandals which are still going strong from years ago.

chasingseagulls I did give up on the thread for a bit as a lot of the options were not to my taste.

they are gorgeous! Yes i also got mine with a Matches discount.

To be honest most of sandals are pretty & comfy but I spend £££ on them. K Jacques are my fave but l also don’t have any issues with bunions etc

I haven’t replaced sandals in about 5 years so this year I went a bit crazy and bought 4 pairs ready for summer. The Clarks pair are so comfy and not fugly at all, they’re quite slim on the feet compared to birkies and the like but still super supportive.

Whoops here they are

And the jigsaw pair which are also very comfy but quite solid so good for walking

My favourite non-fugly sandals came from Clark’s about three years ago. Thin sole, but padded so lovely and comfortable. Very simple design, thin straps, just lovely.

Stopped making them, haven’t they? Gutted. Mine are starting to look shabby

Are heels really to blame?

At a societal level I think so. Women have double the incidence of plantar fasciitis and bunions that men have and are 40% more likely to have general foot pain. And that's ignoring the impact on ankles, knees and backs. I'm sure in the future society will view our obsession with heels the way we view corsets now.

I don't think Saltwaters are fugly

They do divide people a lot though, people don't like the flat sole, the retro appearance, the ankle strap so they clearly meet some definitions of fugly.

I don’t like Saltwaters, the ankle strap is not flattering & the straps are too thick in general. I prefer a shape like the 2nd pair I linked to.

I’m in love with the rainbow sandals ElspethFlashman but I walk really fast and that style never stay on my feet!

Heels do often look better, depending on outfit, but that doesn’t mean I wear them more than 1% of the time!

I wear non-ugly Office sandals and they’re great.

I always think straps that go around the example rather than across it are much more flattering, if that makes sense?

I shared these around Easter time when the brand was having a 50% off sale, they were on back order and arrived yesterday. Love them! I normally don’t get on with this style but these are so comfortable - 100% leather straps and sole so very soft. The model is my 19 month old DD, my feet are in desperate need of a pedicure