Regardless of whether you’re spending the alleged “last weeks” of your Endless Summer jumping across boulders and wading through streams by day and sleeping in a silky bag inside of a brightly-colored tent by night, a functional, vaguely weird-looking shoe is an asset.
But to be honest my real interest is less in functionality and comfort — their draw is in their look, they’re an oddball eyeful and yet somehow retain an air of subtlety, and because they are just “doing them.”
Who do Tevas remind you of? Your, soft-spoken, elementary school music teacher? The couples who buy bags of farro and heirloom carrots together, in the evening, at the health food store? A long and scraggly-haired child pulling on the hemp-y t-shirt of her hot, long-haired skater dad? Good! Then let’s get to it.
Let’s begin this footwear “exploration” with a camp-inspired look. Denim, friendship bracelets, a t-shirt tucked in to your jeans or jean shorts. Your day will likely not be filled with archery lessons and trust-building group hikes, but should it, you’ll be dressed. Fold your hair into a braid or two or a ponytail or two — these shoes were literally made for this. I’ll be in Santa Fe by the time that you are reading this, undoubtedly wearing some variation of this outfit every day.
More realistically, though, it’s a weekday and you are at the office, feeling neurotic, with your big, desktop Mac, your gel pens, an almond milk coffee, so many La Croix, and a container of raw almonds. Wear trousers and a blouse and then so as not to bore the water cooler, let’s add in a dash of sparkle with your new favorite breed of footwear.
Or perhaps it’s nearly autumn, and you having just discovered your love of wearing Tevas, behold the pairing of socks with Tevas. What’s that? You, too, think that this look is totally too much and yet, in its own freaky way, just right? What is more fall than a Back-to-School-inspired outfit? Wear a silky blouse, perhaps worn under a blazer, a plaid skirt, a pair of colored socks, and, yes, some Tevas!
So let’s say you have a function to go to tonight. Or a French-food-and-a-scary-movie-date to get to after work — but the people you’re to be surrounded with, or the person you are to be hopefully kissing by the end of the night, are/is, well, not square. So what do you wear? A dress! A real statement-y, mini, hot little number. And then because you are wrapped in a garment that is silky and sexy, why not add some weird things down a bit with some you know whats.
Photographed by Shelby Duncan.
