061. I Shopped The Sandals On Your Wishlist
Reviewing St.Agni, Emme Parsons, Totême, Aeyde, and more.
In this week’s column, I review one of your most wishlisted items of the summer - thin-straps, minimalist, flat sandals. I review multiple pairs across a range of price points from brands that you frequently ask me to review and brands that are abuzz in the Substack universe. Today’s letter includes sandals by St. Agni, Jil Sander, Aeyde, Emme Parsons, Totême, Ancient Greek Sandals, and ATP Atelier. I score each brand on value for money, quality, design, comfort, and fit and award them an overall score.
I almost always shop with quality and durability in mind. Sometimes, I have to compromise on quality when I can’t afford it. Rarely, but it happens, I shop for a design regardless of the quality. It’s important to understand what we’re paying for. I found that, for the brands I reviewed today, value for money and price weren’t exactly linear. The most expensive pair is mediocre in terms of quality. The fit of each pair became narrower as the price tag increased. There was a clear contrast in the level of craftsmanship under and above a specific $ amount.
I love fashion as much as the next gal, but I also work hard for my money and I want bang for my bucks. If we continue to buy sub-par quality fashion, what’s preventing brands to continue making it?
I wanted you to have an expert’s opinion in addition to mine. I reviewed the sandals with my close friend
, a shoe brand founder who has designed, developed, and produced multiple sandal collections. Melissa tells us whether the price of each pair feels fair. I shared which pair of sandals I would buy and which one she would buy. As an introduction to today’s column, I interviewed her about what makes a great-quality, great-fitting sandal. This was sent last week; if you missed it, you can catch up here.I hope you have a beautiful Sunday. Love, L x
Note: This newsletter does not include affiliate links, gifts, or sponsored content.
St. Agni Rouleau Flat, $195
Fit: TTS.
Width: Normal.
Materials: upper 100% lamb leather, insole 100% cow leather, outsole: 100% rubber.
Made in: India (average national monthly wage of garment workers: $145).
Ethical supply chain certifications: Yes.
What’s Good
A great-looking sandal. I’ve got to give it to St.Agni, the Australian brand founded and led by a husband and wife creative duo, for consistently nailing the nineties sexy-minimalist aesthetic. It takes a visionary to create designs that are beautiful in their simplicity.
I love slip-on sandals that are easy to get in and out of. I’m all for stress-free dressing, especially in Summer.
The fit is spot on. I’m a 36.5, and these feel a tiny bit too big. The width is roomy and might even work for a slightly wider foot. There are no half sizes, so you would need to order two sizes and make a call based on what feels most comfortable. I would have gone half a size down in these.
The outsole is made of rubber with an anti-slip detail. This might be a negative for some, but I use my sandals as day shoes in the summer (on the sand, etc.), so in my book, that’s a plus for durability and usability. That being said, as rubber is significantly cheaper than leather, I’d expect it to be reflected in the price.
I appreciate the brand's transparency on the product page of their website.
What’s Not So Good
My first impression upon unboxing them is that of rudimental craftsmanship. The sole is thick - a good thing - but rigid. It’s uneven, which gives off an unrefined impression. The rouleau straps are glued together rather than stitched, and the leather wrapped around them feels cheap. There are scuffs and marks on the soles, which I don’t mind about. The brand pre-empts this on their website: ‘not considered a fault but inherent to the natural beauty and uniqueness of the leather’. But because the straps feel so poorly constructed, I’m inclined to put it down to low-quality materials as opposed to ‘uniqueness’.
They wear just like flip-flops - they clap against your feet when you walk. There's nothing wrong with that when a flip-flop is made of a light block of foam, but because this sole is heavy and stiff (the rubber outsole doesn’t help), the tubular straps dig into my skin. Within a few minutes of walking in them, they are downright painful, and my big toes turn a lovely shade of purple.
The Expert’s Perspective - with Melissa Epifano Varley of Winnoh
‘I wouldn’t consider the unevenness of the sole a red flag, provided it doesn’t affect how you walk in them. The rubber sole is great for durability. However, just looking at the straps gives me pain - whether you have narrow or wide feet - thin cylindrical straps feel like rope versus flat straps that lay more comfortably on the skin’.
Does The Price Seem Fair?
‘I understand the price; the brand sells through many different stockists, and retail markups are substantial. However, because they’re uncomfortable and because of the materials they’re made of, I wouldn’t pay that price.’
Would I Buy Them?
Sadly not. Design-wise, they’re one of my favourites. The value you’re getting isn’t terrible, and it’s important to note that their not being the best quality is expected based on their positioning. St. Agni intends to be more affordable than other mid-range brands. The shoe was made in a country where the average garment worker's wage is a fraction of the others on this list. As mentioned above, there are instances when I choose to compromise on quality for a more affordable price, but with this pair, I feel all too aware that I’m paying for a 2.2 to 2.5 retail markup. Even if I could look past it, I could not buy or recommend these just because of how uncomfortable they are. Still, they left me curious to try more pieces from the brand.
Value: 2/5
Quality: 2/5
Design: 5/5
Fit: 5/5
Comfort: 1/5
Overall Score: 15/25
Ancient Greek Sandals Celia Sandals, $265
Fit: TTS. Size up if you’re in between sizes.
Width: Normal.
Materials: 100% leather minus the rubber ring around the toe separator and the rubber anti-slip heel.
Made in: Greece (range of national monthly wage of garment workers: $750 -$1,400).
Ethical supply chain certifications: Not available.
What’s Good
I may be biased because I have owned several pairs of AGS sandals over the years, and they’ve served me well. Below, I have attached pictures of what a pair with the exact same sole looks like after nearly ten years of use. They look battered, but