Wearing open-toed footwear in the city can be a controversial choice, but in this heat, many of us feel forced to make it. So which sandals can actually hold their own against a wet hot New York City summer? During the stickiest days of early July, three Strategist staffers took to the streets of Manhattan and Brooklyn on a mission to find out the exact pairs that New Yorkers around town are letting their feet breathe in. We peered at the toes of strangers riding the subway, eating lunch on the benches of Washington and Madison Square Parks, and pounding the pavement in Midtown. We hailed down random people in comfortable-looking shoes and tried to explain our journalistic interest in their footwear. We allayed concerns about foot pics, sympathetically swapped stories about blisters and plantar fasciitis, and agreed with many ardent fans that a classic pair of Birkenstock Arizonas can be hard to beat.
Some sandal-wearers we spoke with said that the inherent chicness of their minimalist leather slip-ons was worth side-stepping a few suspicious street rodents and puddles for. Others had invested in more practical velcro sandals with traction and height that protected them from summer city sludge. Whichever sandals they wore, everybody looked great. Thank you to all of the New Yorkers (and stylish tourists) who shared their strappy footwear stories. You’ll find them below.
