. Sogole is a mom who loves clothes which makes us kindred spirits. I adore Sogole’s really practical application of trends into real-life and she is wicked smart. I’ll let Sogole take it from here, but this is a reminder that I would so love for YOUR voice to be represented here too so please consider submitted a review too which you can do by emailing me at onestarreviews.ss@gmail.com.
Every now and again, you’ll strike fashion gold, in that you’ll discover an item - be it the perfect tee, an exact make & model of jeans, or the most comfortable bra- that you feel just completes your wardrobe and officially ‘ends the quest’ for the absolute most perfect version of that item. In fact, thanks to Kelly and this brilliant One Star Reviews column, maybe you’ll find some of those gems here!
For me, my sandal holy grail was complete in 2015 when I discovered the Ancient Greek Sandals Eleftherias. They are absolutely everything I look for in a sandal: comfortable, stylish, minimal, versatile and- the kicker- durable. These sandals have seen me through many, many summers. From nights out in NYC in my early 30s to traipsing all over Italy on vacation to running after my toddler at the park.
The ingeniously simple design is what does it for me. It easily wraps around your foot and ankle in one quick move, and you’re off. The leather sole is not the most supportive, so if you require a lot of support in your sandal, this may not be the best match (at least, not for those moments you’ll be doing a lot of walking). But I have a pretty high arch, and I have not once had any pain or blisters while wearing.
Given that I’ve been loyally wearing these for nearly 10 years, you’d think I’ve single-handedly funded Ancient Greek Sandals through my shopping alone. But! You’d be wrong, because the best thing about these sandals is that they are built to last. Yes, eventually they get a bit grody - like any oft-worn shoe- and you’ll have to dispose and and invest in a new pair. But the cost per wear is honestly less than a penny at this rate. You’d be impressed with how well they hold up!
As someone with a borderline shopping addiction (send help), when I see something I like, “I get it in every color.” So I currently own EIGHT pairs of these sandals. Insane? Perhaps. But when you pretty much wear them with every outfit in the summer, having a few different colors is clutch. I’ve recently bought two new pairs that I am excited to begin wearing….especially since two of my older pairs have probably seen better days and are ready to heave-ho…
I want to point out that 7 out of 8 of my Eleftherias are leather. I do own one pair in the rubber, which is an elevated take on a flip flop, and perfect for wearing poolside at a fancy resort. However…be wary of the rubber! Last year they flat out snapped on me when I went to slide on. I think because you do have to pull the strap a bit to get it over your foot & ankle, it makes sense that eventually a material like rubber may snap. Even after that trauma…what did I do? I hopped on TRR and scored a brand new pair for half the price. What can I say? I’m addicted.
The Eleftherias came up in a Substack Chat request for comfortable sandal and all the responses were $spendy$ except the Teva Infinity; but if Sogole is going to own 7 (!) pairs I feel like that’s probably the only commentary I need. I found two pairs on TRR (here is size 10, here in size 11) and a very fun wedge version (here in size 8).
Tkees makes a dead ringer for the Eleftherias for about half the price but neither Sogole or I can speak to their comfort; anyone else?
*BREAKING NEWS: Katie commented about our Tkees option;
I have the Tkees Mia and love them for their comfort (instant, out-of-box wearability) and versatility (your feet look naked if you pick a skin-adjacent shade). HOWEVER, the leather strap split within 1 month of wearing about once a week. They are still wearable (I just tuck in the sturdy threads that give the strap structural integrity), AND when I emailed the company, THEY ISSUED A FULL REFUND! Good job customer service. I am now team Tkees 4EVA.
If you have something in your closet that you adore as much as Sogole loves the Eleftherias, please reach out to me! OR maybe you bought some of the $spendy$ sandals and want to warn off everyone else, I would love those reviews as well!
Have never tried that but might be interesting! Honestly the leather wears pretty well I have to say. I’ve had those brown pair for maybe 5-6 years!!
I snagged the size 11 pair on TRR & feel like I struck literal gold!! So in love with this newsletter & the content so far 💛💛