INTO: Platform Sandals to Live, Work, and Be Extra In

Summer has come and almost gone. Much like Sandy Olsson and Danny Zuko’s love affair in Grease, “summer luvin’ happened so fast.” Unfortunately for us, there were no sleepovers, no car races, and definitely no impromptu carnival dance parties. Thanks to the pandemic, most of us spent our summer inside—working, living, crying. Finding ways to stay creatively inspired and properly dressed has become a daunting task. As someone who thoroughly enjoys clothes and the process of getting ready every morning, the lack of places to go and people to see has left my closet nearly untouched and by proxy, my mental health, self-esteem, and overall extra-ness have declined. Though it sounds utterly dramatic, and there are people suffering greater losses, the inability to step out into the city serving a look has undoubtedly had negative effects on myself, and many other extra human beings across the globe. That’s until I discovered the magic of wearing platform sandals during the Summer quarantine to achieve simple mundane tasks.

Going to the grocery store has never been the same ever since I stepped out wearing the Teva x Opening Ceremony Flatform Universal sandal. Not only does it add a few inches to my height with its six-color striped midsole in bright yellow, orange, green, red, and blue—it also causes innocent passerby to break their necks as I stomp through the store searching for the items on my list for another week of survival. Wearing sandals with a flare adds a certain flavor to life in quarantine.

Though nightlife in New York has been put on hold, for the most part, there are some sandals that can take you there—spiritually and visually. Take for example UGG’s Disco Checker Slide (available in three loud and proud colorways), which as its name suggests, is a funky, groovy sandal that is equal parts acceptable for a Friday Zoom meeting or attending Robyn’s CLUB DOMO, the singer’s virtual DJ set from in Stockholm. And for life’s more mundane tasks, like checking the mail or taking the trash out, I’ve opted for a simple yet elusive pair, like Fendi’s Promenade flatform flip-flops—a very on-the-nose ode to the 2000s and a pure extraction of the essence of Mariah Carey, the at-home diva herself. Or even these godly velvet Gucci sandals, who doesn’t need a little black and gold to go from the couch to the front door when your Seamless order arrives? Long live the legendary glamour of platform sandals. I didn’t ask to be born extra, I just got lucky.