In winter when the air is frosty and the best feeling with world is to slip your feet into some warm socks, chosen shoes are closed toed, confining and solid. But when spring and summer come around your soul and your soles long to breathe free. That's the time for sandals. Sandals come in many types with different styles, fittings and purposes. The more you know about your freeing summer footwear the better you'll be at picking the perfect pair for you.



Know Where You Go

The first question you want to ask about sandals is, "where am I going?" Not all types of sandals look good for all occasions. A raw leather strapped Birkenstock may be great for a picnic or even with jeans at an informal restaurant, but won't go well in the workplace at all, unless you work on a beach. Slingbacks are great sandals for causal business wear and charity dinners but don't necessarily go well at the supermarket. Flip flops are the ultimate casual-wear and really only worn for fun and frolicking. Make sure when you pick a sandal you choose the best one for where you want to wear it.

Comfort Is King (Or Queen)

The most important aspect of a sandal is that it feel good to the feet. Sandals with lots of heavy leather straps, like the Gladiator style, bog the feet down in so much shoe you might was well be wearing work boots. The more open the straps and feet can be, the more comfortable is the sandal. While some may choose to sacrifice comfort for style, there is always the opportunity to sacrifice looks for feeling good. In that case there is Crocs, the fastest growing sandal on the market today. No one disputes that Crocs are a shoe so ugly they are like the deep sea mutant fish of sandals. But underneath that bulky neon exterior, is solid comfort. Ask anyone in them why they like the fungus resistant clumpy shoes and they will say the same thing every time. "Crocs feel good."

Freedom In The Fit

It doesn't matter whether you are sliding your feet into a pair of sandals or taking them off after a long day, if your feet hurt something is wrong. The largest mistake people make is buying sandals that don't fit correctly. A sandal should be wide enough to accommodate the whole foot with no overhang and have at least a space the width of your thumb between your toes and the end of the shoe. Straps should be firm but not tight and your skin should not pull up over them. A sandal that fits correctly makes all the difference in comfort, feel and motion.

Nothing says summer as clearly or comfortably as a new pair of sandals. Whether you like to wear flip flops around the pool, Birkenstocks at a music festival, slingbacks with a nice skirt or crocs on a boat, you'll experience the joy of feeling free in the sun with the right pair of shoes.