The sandal is to shoes what the chair is to furniture: a comparatively complicated construction that involves omitting as much as possible while maintaining stability at the same time.

Every flip-flop proves that two straps on the sole are enough to stay in step.

However, you cannot cover long distances with the filigree structures.

Anke Schipp

Editor in the "Life" department of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sunday newspaper.

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But you don't have to worry about that this summer, because there are countless models that are almost as suitable for everyday use as closed shoes.

With the sturdy sandals from Dr.

Martens, for example, you can survive any of the many music festivals like a gladiator, which are taking place again this summer after a long Corona abstinence.

decision for or against convenience

The situation is similar with the fisherman sandals made of braided leather, which fishermen on the Mediterranean once wore to avoid injuring their feet on the sharp stones when they pulled their boats out of the water.

They were also the model for the rubber bathing shoes that we had to wear in our childhood to be protected on rocky beaches.

The hybrid of open sandals and closed low shoes may remind some of their geography teacher, but this association is easy to avoid, for example by wearing the Vagabond model with trendy linen dresses and trousers or counteracting it with an airy summer dress.

Nothing for the festival

Certainly not mistaken for a geography teacher with the remarkable Prada sandals.

Rather, we're picturing a female type like Doris Day, lounging on a lounger by the pool in a babydoll and pink terrycloth sandals.

The fabric slides by Dries van Noten from the capsule collection for Mytheresa are just as comfortable, with a practical Velcro fastener, and of course the Birkenstocks with a solid footbed, which were finished with black polka dots by Manolo Blahnik and are also available as buckle models.

If you don't give a damn about comfort this summer, if you don't plan to visit Wacken and want to leave the trauma of the geography teacher behind you, you'll reach for more delicate constructions.

They still exist - like the sandals by Aquazzura for Mytheresa.