Why 'Grandma Shoes' Are Having a Moment
Grandmas: They're known for their baking skills, money-saving secrets, and their innate ability to keep us happy and healthy, but stylish shoes? Not always. Until now, that is.
Merrell Hambleton, a writer for The Strategist, New York magazine's destination for online shopping expertise, swears she's found the perfect pair of comfortable yet completely fashionable sandals and—get this—she calls them "grandma" shoes.
Hambleton spent years searching for sandals that would both support and flatter her flat feet. After failed attempts with Birkenstocks, Worishofer's, and Salt-Water sandals, which she claims made her feet "spread out like small, undercooked pancakes," she spotted a "particularly stylish friend" sporting the summer footwear of her dreams. Made of rubber and elastic, the wide-strap sandals had a short heel and "chunky, toothy soles" that gave them an "athletic edge."
The Monterey sandal, dubbed the original "cobblestone to cocktail" shoe, is made by Charleston Shoe Co. and a pair goes for $100.
The company's founder, Neely Woodson Powell, first met the fourth-generation cobbler she collaborated with to bring the shoes to the U.S. when she was a student visiting Mexico in 1996. According to nymag.com, San Miguel de Allende is the "shoe capital" of Mexico; Powell quickly realized that the cobbler's simple design had become a favorite among locals.
Here's why, in Hambleton's words, every woman needs a pair of grandma sandals for summer:
The broad, elastic straps cover just enough of your feet to make them look trim and minimize any "side squish." Four of your five toes and just a hint of "toe cleavage" (this is a terrible term, but trust me, it's desirable) peek out at the front. Walk in them. Run in them. Never take a cab again in them — they really do feel like sneakers.
It's just one more thing to add to our list of reasons we love grandma.
(h/t nymag.com)
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