The Busy Girl’s Guide To Comfy Summer Sandals

Before I begin, yes, this week’s edition of The Busy Girl’s Guide To… is admittedly one day late. The weather was so awful yesterday evening that Keiran and I couldn’t shoot together, so I had to postpone until the sun decided to show its face again today. But enough jibber-jabbering – without further ado, let’s crack on.

Throughout his years, David Attenborough has uncovered the mysteries of many a creature. From mucking about with gorillas to taking us deep down to the bottom of the ocean, there aren’t many things he hasn’t been able to open our world’s up to. There is, however, one beast he has never been able to tie down. Elusive, widely unknown and almost impossible to harness more than once, it remains largely a mystery – we are, of course, talking about the comfy sandal.

When it comes to the summer shoe, footwear always falls down on at least one of the following: style, function, comfort. Allow me to elaborate with the world’s mortal enemy of the footwear world – Crocs. Crocs are hideously ugly, but outrageously comfy and perform the function of a summer shoe with impeccable accuracy (a.k.a. they are breathable enough that you don’t get sweaty toes).

And then we have the many tie-up, lace-up, thread-up-the-entire-leg sandals that populate the high street during the summer months. Beautiful to look at, arguably comfy depending on the sole, but unbelievably annoying in that the threads fall down to your ankles every ten minutes and you end up with crazy, lattice tan lines.

Finally, we have a basic, summer sandal. Buckle up at the back: function = check. Minimal, neutral tones in a simple, and versatile style: style = check. A ridiculously thin sole and straps that rub relentlessly in the heat: comfort = volcanic blister levels.

The only sandal that has ever come close for me is my pair of white Birkenstocks, which have seen me through many a summer without a blister or upset tiny toe in sight. Only trouble is they are becoming a little worse for wear now, evidenced in length by the outline by sweaty foot has left from months of wear without an available alternative.

With Rome on the horizon (we head out Monday) and the weather heating up, I decided to dedicate the last few weeks to seeking out a pair of comfortable and affordable summer sandals. Ideally I wanted a pair to come in at under £30 and be easily accessible, and by that, I mean not from some obscure hipster market in London or thrifted from my Mum’s old wardrobe. It would be nice if you guys were actually able to pick them up if you fancied it, after all.

Having been blistered by many a summer shoe in my time, I know what to look for when it comes to comfortable summer sandals: 1 – avoid those toe thong things at all costs. Nothing good comes of those little blighters; 2 – look for a thicker sole – the super thin ones will wreak havoc on your feet after even the minutest bit of walking; 3 – a thicker ankle strap with a buckle will be much kinder than any kind of tie up scenario and finally, 4 – leather uppers are often softer than other materials, but if you don’t wear leather, then bin this part.

Whilst ASOS were running their 20% off promotion, I decided to have a little delve into the footwear section. I stumbled across these black beauties, and could hear the quiet ‘tick, tick, tick’ of my requirements list. Retailing at only £28, these ‘Fleet Street’ sandals also come in a burgundy and navy colour way which is perfect for the hoarders out there who, like me, must buy something in every colour if it proves to be a good fit.

Sufficed to say, you’ll be seeing a lot of these babies over the next few months. They’re comfy, cute AND my toes can breath without being splayed on show for the world to see. What more could a girl want (other than not to have to look for months and months on end???).

As always in The Busy Girl’s Guide To series, I’ve also rounded up the best the high street has to offer in terms of feet-friendly flippers. Of course, without testing every single one of these bad boys, I can’t attest to how comfortable they actually are, but all of the below are pairs that I am tempted by and that ~ look like ~ they pass the visual test. If you do end up snapping up a pair or two, make sure you let me know which and how kind to your trotters they ended up being!

Until next time lovelies x