Sandals With Exotic Multicultural Influences

When the warmer weather arrives, shoes you have adored in the past few months can suddenly seem so uncomfortable. It’s difficult to let go of your wedge heels though because…let’s face it…you love them! They are the hot trend and this hot has nothing to do with temperature outside.

Thanks to designer innovativeness, you can put away your winter wedge shoes and put on wedge sandals instead. Reflecting multicultural influences, the new fashionable sandals are designed to keep your feet cool without giving up one iota of style. You will find wedge heeled sandals, kitten spikes, lattice booties, fringe, ankle wraps and many others that are equally interesting.

Wilderness or Oceans…Mexico or Rome…Or…?

What could be more appropriate for summer than a snake skin print that reminds you of the Amazon wilderness or knotted suede rope that evokes images of seafaring boats? These are the kinds of details that the chic sandals are sporting right now. There’s a variety of patterns, shapes, materials and lift to choose from making sandal shopping an exciting opportunity to showcase your secret addition to the exotic.

What about the ethnic overtones found in the current trends. You have to wonder why the designers have not chosen this style path more often because the results of incorporating global influences have been expressive and bold. You can display your panache with distinction by choosing one of the more flamboyant sandal styles for those days when you want to display daring confidence.

You are probably thinking to yourself: give me some examples! A good place to start is with the Alexander Want knotted sandal that with knotted suede rope, 2.5 inch heel covered with patent leather, and an interesting zipper detail on the back of the heel. It’s a fashionable version of a traditional open-space sandal cum heel.

The ethnic influence is in full view in the Thakoon huarache woven sandal. This is no ordinary huarache though. It has croc-stamped leather, plenty of woven leather and a rubber platform. What really turns this huarache into a work of art is the 4.5 inch stiletto heel. This height of the heel makes the sandal perfect for evening or day wear.

Also reminiscent of the huarache is the Givenchy Lucrezia kitten heel sandal. This heel is only 2.5 inches high and has a t-strap with an ankle wrap of woven leather. Interestingly, it has a zipper back closure to make it easy to manage putting on and off, but the zipper only adds to the genius of this shoe.

If huaraches are not your favorite style, you can go exotic with the Giambattista Valli gladiator flats. This shoe represents an eclectic mix of Roman gladiator style with its lace up front and African jungles due to the python print. Don’t be fooled though…this flat shoe is anything but flat in style.

Show Your Panache

Speaking of flat sandals, designers like Proenza Schouler and Stella McCartney offer plenty of options. Sometime you just don’t want or need a heel, and that’s when you will find that the flat sandal has been turned into a fashion centerpiece that can easily compete with its heeled counterparts. The McCartney woven braid sandal or the Schouler thong sandals are gorgeous footwear that let you continue to show panache even while being practical. You can even continue to take advantage of the multicultural theme in a perfectly delightful leopard print leather woven print.

Is it Asian…African…or the Middle East influencing this exotic looking sandal? Does it really matter when the shoes look so great?