Whether you are aware of it or not, the weather is one of the biggest influences on the type of footwear that you wear. When it is cold, it is the norm to gravitate towards footwear that provides more coverage and warmth to the feet, and when it warms up, you will inevitably want to wear footwear that allows for more breathability and openness. Due to how open they are, sandals fall in the warm weather category of footwear, but when is the weather warm enough to wear them?
When is it warm enough to wear sandals? When you wear sandals will entirely depend on your preferences. Most of the people a sunny 70-degree day it’s warm enough to wear sandals. If you must wear sandals during the cold, opt to pair them with tights or a pair of thick socks to ensure that you stay warm.
The weather is often an important determinant of what shoes you wear. Here is a look at how the sandals you wear can be influenced by how warm it is outdoors.
Wearing sandals based on the weather
Although your style plays a major part in the type of footwear you choose to wear, the weather is a very important consideration as well.
1. Spring months
The temperatures in spring are usually warming up from the frigid days of winter, but it is not quite as warm as during the summer. As a result, you will want to go for open-toe footwear that perfectly combines the best features of sandals and closed footwear.
Wedges are a great sandal option that will offer you the openness of sandals while still offering the comfort and warmth of closed shoes. Wedges typically feature a heel and sole that are made of the same material, often cork, Perspex, or wood. Unlike with stilettos, wedges offer more stability, so you don’t have to worry about sinking into the grass as you walk. Peep-toe sandals are especially great for any semi-formal events during the spring as they are more closed than the typical sandal but are still reminiscent of closed shoes. Closed-toe sandals, as the name suggests, cover your toes, thereby keeping your feet warmer than the average sandal.
2. Summer months
The weather during the summer is considerably warmer, which allows for a variety of sandal options.
Slide sandals
Slide sandals, or slip-ons as they are sometimes known, are a casual type of footwear that can be worn by both men and women. They come in a variety of designs, including:
- Crossed leather slides – These are sandals that have a leather cross band upper. They are great for a variety of summer activities, including poolside parties and backyard barbeques – they are most suited for casual events.
- Furry slides – These are sandals that were previously considered to be for use strictly within the house, but they have slowly made their way into public casual settings as well.
- Striped beach slides – Striped beach slides are primarily constructed with a rubber-like material. They are commonly used as pool slides.
Gladiator sandals
These are sandals that have several straps that run around the foot up to just below the knee – think of the sandals that were worn by Roman gladiators, which inspired their design.
T-strap sandals
T-strap sandals are popular thanks to their ability to give off the flattering illusion of longer legs, making them a great option for the summer.
3. Fall and winter months
During the fall months, the weather is far from warm, which means that wearing open sandals during this period will leave your feet feeling very cold, making you susceptible to a variety of cold-related illnesses. You can wear open-toe sandals that provide coverage for most of the foot. However, you will want to add tights under your sandals to keep your feet warm. During snowy winters, you will want to avoid wearing sandals when outdoors as they will only hinder your movements in the snow and allow your feet to get soaked.
Selecting suitable sandals to wear
There are a variety of factors to take into consideration when selecting a pair of sandals to wear whether weather influences your choice or not.
1. Comfort
One of the first things you should always take into consideration when choosing sandals is how comfortable you will be wearing them. When the weather is warm, your feet tend to swell and slightly increase in size, especially at the end of the day as a result of the combination of heat and standing and walking for extended periods.
One of the surest ways of ensuring how comfortable a pair of sandals are is by going for the right fit. If they turn out to be too tight on your feet, you could end up with friction wounds and blisters, whereas if they are too big, all that sliding around in the sandals will cause you to walk in an unnatural and unbalanced way which could lead to straining and a variety of foot problems.
2. Material
Natural leather takes a little bit more time than average to break in, but after a couple of wears, they will mold to your feet perfectly. Suede is a popular material used in the construction of sandals that is plush yet sturdy. Both natural leather and suede are very delicate and need a lot of care to maintain. Rubber is another material used to make sandals that is very common. Unlike suede and leather, many varieties of rubber such as gum rubber and molded polyurethane are water-resistant, allowing for use by the poolside or by the beach. Cork is another great material option as it possesses antimicrobial and moisture-wicking properties.
3. Support
You always want to look for sandals that have heel and arch support. Sandals that offer arch support will reduce foot pain and fatigue that you may experience if you are on your feet for extended periods. Heel support, on the other hand, will allow for more balance and motion control. However, if your sandal doesn’t offer support, it is highly likely that you will endure great pain at the end of the day no matter how soft the material used in its construction is. Therefore, consider going for sandals which have footbeds that incorporate firm but cushy materials.
4. Water capacity
Water activities are prevalent during the summer – be it going to the beach, pool, or lake. If you know you will partake in water activities, then you will want to consider this aspect before buying sandals. Depending on the material, some designs will do well when they come in contact with water while others will warp, damage, or lose their shock-absorbing properties. If this is a concern for you, ensure that you go for a pair that is made with hydrophobic synthetic materials or those that can dry quickly when exposed to moisture without retaining it. Mesh is quite popular due to its quick-drying properties, but there are other viable alternatives such as woven nylon and knit materials.
5. Breathability
It is often assumed that open sandal designs would be automatically breathable, but this is not always the case. One of the ways breathability is incorporated in summer sandals is through cutouts. This is an efficient way of allowing hot air to escape and cool air to penetrate the sandals. Cutouts will also allow water to escape, reducing moisture build-up and allowing your feet to dry much faster. Designs that feature a mesh or moisture-wicking lining are also great options as they will allow for both moisture and temperature management.
6. Outsole
The outsole of the sandal is another important consideration as it is the part of the footwear that will protect the bottom of your feet. Regardless of the design of the sandal, you want the outsole to be somewhat flexible so that you will be able to move naturally. However, if it turns out to be too flexible, it will reduce the level of protection from the surface underfoot, which is especially crucial if you intend to walk over rugged terrain in the sandals.
Additionally, you want the outsole of the sandal to have an adequate grip on the surfaces on which you are walking. If you will be walking on pavement, foam and standard rubber outsoles should be fine, but if you plan to walk over tile and hardwood floors, you will want footwear that offers more grip – look for designs that feature traction patterns.
Final thoughts
Sandals will always be a staple during the warm summer months, although it is acceptable to a certain degree to wear them in the spring and fall as well. Although the choice is entirely yours on whether to wear sandals, you will probably want to avoid them during the winter and particularly cold fall days.