Middle of summer. The grass is green, the ocean invitingly blue, the sun gazes on you as if you asked for its attention, and the drink in your glass is cool and offers the nectar we all need during these warm and winning days. Your shirt keeps you comfortable, your pants or shorts work with the season, and your shoes… well, your shoes could use some updating.
GAGE says… when it comes to summer shoes, embrace your fear of being traditional! Summer shoes come in all styles and colors and looking for the “extremely different” may not offer you the result you desire. This can also be a time thief. Afterall, how can a sandal or a tennis shoe be “extremely” different?
When it comes to your summer shoes it boils down to your preference in comfort and performance; and again, style and color. GAGE is delighted to share these examples, feeling confident that you’ll find your new faves in no time.
The slide
For a designer, ergonomic fit
Slides come in all kinds of styles and price ranges. GAGE recommends two, and the only “extreme” here is the difference in price between them. Let’s start with the designer slide. Our choice goes to Bottega Venetta. To tie back to this blog opening, Bottega Venetta decided NOT to embrace the traditional when it comes to their logo design on these slides.
This fashion house, founded in 1966, usually uses leather to emboss their signature intrecciato quilting, however on these cool-looking slides they’ve incorporated rubber which they’ve embossed successfully with the same impression. The rubber soles are gripped so you can feel safe on slippery surfaces, like walking around the pool, showing off these very slides. They are lightweight and offer an ergonomic texturized insole which we have no desire to resist.
Made in Italy, you’ll feel luxurious AND casual in these good-looking slides. Choose your size and color and make them yours for $390.00. Yes, the shipping is free.
For the pool-side
Our next slide recommendation makes it easy for you to move from regular shoe to slide, especially if you’re already a VANS fan. Yes, you read it: our next pick is a VANS slide.
The La Costa slide-on is a winner for so many reasons like its style, comfort, and price. We’re partial to the Checkerboard La Costa because of its familiar VANS design. You can choose between so many though, like the Multi/Black or Green Flame/Black.
Just like the designer house mentioned above, the first VANS store saw the light back in 1966 and thanks to the skateboard community embracing the brand in the 1970’s, it’s still around today as one of the most popular shoe brands in the world.
The Checkerboard La Costa offers durable injected ULTRACUSH™ Lite waffle outsoles. To that we say thank you! This slide is lightweight and flexible and is made with water-based inks and glues. So, you and your slides can hit the pool or ocean with a no-worry ease! The $35.00 price tag made us holler one thing: SOLD! Oh and, WE’LL TAKE SEVERAL PAIRS!
The flop
For classic, all-day comfort
This all-time favorite is anything but a flop! There is an abundance of them out there and all of us at GAGE for Men have a few recommendations. Let’s start with the brand Hari Mari.
What strikes our fancy first is this brand’s trademark, found on their Parks Ranger flop: the MemoryFoamToe™ Post, which stops that sometimes painful break-in period in its tracks. Instant comfort is something we should not take for granted! Another Hari Mari trademark is the Custom DiamondTread™ molded rubber outsole.
Extra perk: boat-safe outsoles providing extra grip with 100% rubber traction. At only $65.00 this flop shoe is one of our summer highlights. Oh, did we mention the premium suede? Available on Him Gentleman’s Boutique’s online store.
For luxururious style
Should you lean more towards the designer side of flops, then there’s always Gucci. This flop, also considered to be a thong sandal, is a visual stunner. The sole may be rubber, which we welcome, but the top of the flop is adorned with Gucci’s signature design, the Web, and leather.
Facts to consider: protect this flop from direct light, heat, and rain. Store and wear accordingly. Gucci will provide a flannel bag which will maintain your investment when stored in the applicable Gucci box. Yes, at $390.00 we choose to call this an investment. Luxurious and attractive, this flop will flip everyone you flash it to.
The sneaker
For every day wear
You will always feel your best during warm summer days in a comfy sneaker. This summer shoe is perfect for leisure days as well as casual business meetings. We’re starting out with a sneaker that is beyond classic: The Chuck Taylor All Star By You.
What makes this so extra special, besides the brand that we know so very well (Converse, founded in 1908), is the “By You” in its title. This means that you can take this low top leather sneaker and customize it. From the laces to the lining. At $85.00, this option (plus its durable leather and lightly padded footbed) makes this sneaker choice an easy choice to make.
For any occasion
Our last recommendation is anything but least. New Balance, established in 1906, offers some of the best running and tennis shoes around. Our choice for this blog is the 990v5 shoe, which is a bonafide running shoe that you can wear for any occasion.
Outsole is blown rubber, a dual density collar foam offers support for your ankles, upper part is suede and mesh. So much more and at $184.99 we suggest you run, either to your nearest New Balance store or to your computer/laptop, to order this top-notch sneaker.
The hair
Now that you have some decisions to make, picking and choosing OR getting all the footwear mentioned in this blog, you may wonder which hairstyle goes best with your new summer shoes. Well, the answer came to us in a second: any style!
With that said we highly recommend our GAGE for Men Tea Tree shampoo and conditioner. These cleansing products perform great on summer active hair. The shampoo stimulates and deep cleanses both your hair and scalp. Tea tree oil increases circulation, balances oil production, and reduces itchiness. The conditioner, which also contains peppermint extracts, stimulates and energizes the scalp for healthy circulation, hydration, and balance.
Until next time we hope you’ll enjoy your summer to the fullest, we wish you happy summer-shoe shopping, and we hope you follow our other suggestion: plenty of beach or pool visits! With your new shoes in tow, of course.
