Selecting the right footwear for the summer is something all style-minded Australian men should think about. There’s no use keeping your fur-lined winter boots out, unless of course, you want to sweat out a few grams of weight from your feet. Loafers and boat shoes are always our go-to styles. Simple, stylish and comfortable, they’ll be your best friend when the temperature soars.
Sandals are a perfectly viable option for the modern-day gent, too, and with a vast range of fashion brands producing strappy shoes for guys, the choice isn’t always easy. RIA Menorca may have made that choice a little easier though, by showing us what style to avoid this summer: the Avarca sandal.
Avarca is the name given to the actual style of sandal, and is incredibly popular in Spain’s Balearic Islands, particularly Menorca. No prizes for guessing where RIA got its name, then. Avarca sandals are incredibly simple in their design, combining a rubber sole with a leather upper. Original Avarca sandals used recycled car tyres for the sole, but the modern-day reissue uses rubber and a purpose-made mould.
Luka Sabbat may be able to pull them off… but that’s about it. Plus, a quick look at RIA Menorca’s Instagram page shows chicas are the target market. Not that there’s anything wrong with flouting the gender section of your local outlet, but in this case, as the odd (in every sense of the word) images of men sporting avarca sandals on RIA Menorca’s Instagram attest), it just doesn’t work.
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We’re not against men showing a bit of toe or heel, but only when the sandal has a bit of hunk. Think Birkenstock, Grenson or Saint Laurent. All of these companies employ a simple strapped design for their sandals, but show off more of the foot in the process. The covered nature of RIA Menorca’s design just doesn’t quite cut it in our lookbook.
Don’t believe us? Jeff Lack, leading Sydney stylist says:
“These are the stand out worst look for men this season, aside from those flatform rubber numbers floating around, they scream primary school teacher. With loads of cool men’s sandal options, this isn’t an option I’d recommend for any of my clients or shoots. Go classic, think of the Lord and leather, you can’t go wrong.”
So fellas, next time you’re shopping for a summer sole, look to Jesus as your guiding light. Shaun Birley (the guy pictured above) may be the stylish man’s saviour when it comes to everything else (seriously, whether it’s drinking coffee in Italy or reclining in business class, he’s a legend), but when it comes to sandals, we’re not sold.