The Inside Job w/Nick Verreos: Sandals and Summer

Since Frontiers is a local Los Angeles Magazine and most of you would not read it even if you were in LA, I thought I would post my columns here to share with everyone. The columns deal mostly with Men's fashions and fashion advice for style-challenged men. I'm really having a great time writing them and hopefully I am spreading around some good fashion advice (at least that's what my friends say).

Sandals And Summer. Two words that have become inseparable from each other, like Brad and Angelina, Nick and Jessica (ha!), Liza and the Gays. You get the picture. Sandals and flip flops are a wardrobe staple, especially here in Southern California, where we basically have no seasons and enjoy spring/summer almost all year round. What is amazing to me is how, say five years ago, sandals and flip flops were not as ubiquitous as they are now, and how the choices for styles have become unending. Years ago, you had rubber flip flops and get-out-of-the-shower-at-the-gym styles, or-shall I even go there?-yes, those nasty Teva hiking sandals that Americans in Miami Beach or even at the Louvre in Paris would be seen wearing. Times are a changin’, and we are happier as a result.
Chalk it up to “Queer Eye”, “Abercrombie & Fitch”, “American Eagle Outfitters”, MTV’s “Real World/Road Rules” as catalysts that brought flip flops and sandals into the mainstream and cemented them as a natural part of our wardrobe, no matter what the season. And now, with the airport security being as strict as it is, you can be in a winter snow storm in Buffalo NY and I guarantee there will be guys wearing flip flops at the airport for the sake of comfort and not having to take those shoes off and hold up the line any longer than they have to.
The variety of choices we have is great. On the inexpensive yet still cute side, there are those colorful Havaianas, that can be found in any surf shop from Venice to La Jolla. I also found this great pair of inexpensive flip-flops at H&M with “Italy” and the Italian flag colors emblazoned down the sole (they also have other “World Cup” countries such as England and Brazil). On the pricier side, DSquared has really stepped up it’s sandal styles by creating leather braided ones as well as a style that has Native American-inspired beaded straps. I know it sounds like a bit much to wear on your feet, but trust me, these were HOT. Of course, you can always count on Gucci or Louis Vuitton for some logo-crazy versions that will instantly let everyone around you know that: a)You went to the Cabazon Outlets in Palm Springs and bought them there, or b)you are a broke sales associate at Bloomindales but heck if that’s going to stop you from looking fabulous, or c)You are part of that 1% tax bracket that can actually afford to pay full price.
Whatever your taste or style, there are tons of choices out there in sandals and flip flops, yet the most important thing (besides how cute they look on your feet) is how comfortable they are. I remember several years ago spending over $300 on a pair of fabulous Miu Miu’s that had a powder-blue canvas strap and a heavy wooden sole. They were the most uncomfortable pair of sandals I have ever worn and people could hear me coming a mile away because of the click-clack of the wood. I felt like a pained Dutch milk-maid. At the end of the day, I would have been much happier with a pair of $14 Havaianas.