Must Have Sandals
April 30, 2008 by Haidee
I am as happy as a daffodil to unearth all 30 pairs or so of my Jack Rogers sandals. While I hate that these fabulous, go-with-anything sandals have become a preppy cliche, I truly cannot live without them. Indeed, they comliment any outfit (even cocktail dresses) and come in every imaginable color. The style is classic (made famous by Jackie O in the 60s), and you can even get them monogrammed. I also have a few Stephen Bonnano shoes, which are a decent derivation of the classic Jack Roger design, but they do not hold up as well.
I knew of Jack Rogers years ago before they became a staple at every sorority house. Having been born and partly raised in South Florida, I saw my first pair of Jack Rogers over a quarter of a century ago when they covered the floor of my mother’s closet. I feel somewhat entitled to think of Jack Rogers as unique to my personal style.
While amassing a spectrum of Jack Rogers, I typically try to avoid footwear fads in an effort to be unique. For instance, I did not purchase a single pair of Tory Burch flats although I find them super cute. I do not own a pair of Crocs or those flip flops with the little rainbow. Oh, and I had Sperry boat shoes years ago when friends thought they were hideous (a requirement on annual deep sea fishing trips with Dad). However, despite their widespread popularity, I cannot go through a Spring nor Summer without Jack Rogers in every color.
By the way, I noticed that Scarpa now carries Jack Rogers, as does Richie & Co in Barracks Shopping Center (and I think they are a few $$ less at Richie & Co).
What shoes can you not live without?
I have the silver Jack Rogers and I wear them more than any other pair of shoes I own. It hit me how versatile they are when they were one of just a few pair of shoes I packed for two weeks in Hawaii last fall. I wore them absolutely everywhere, whether it was to the beach with a bathing suit and cover-up or to dinner with a sundress. Recently, I started thinking about purchasing another pair, but it’s a challenge to narrow down the next color I’d buy…
I suggest gold or black shiny leather. Can’t go wrong, though!