I had the sandals in the shopping basket and my credit card in my hand when I came to and realized, You nut, you can’t afford $397 (plus tax and shipping) sandals! They were beautiful sandals, to be sure: black suede slingback mules with a simple metal strap, made by an Australian company called By Far. I desired them greatly.
But we mourn; we move on. We look for sandals that capture some of the original sandals’ understated elegance. We fail. We buy a pair of cherry-red Urban Outfitters sandals that we like fine, but don’t fall head over heels for. They look good with our cropped jeans, and we’re doing okay! Less happy than we might be had we purchased the Perfect Sandals. But less anxious, too, as we narrowly dodged spending several hundreds of dollars on shoes we’ll wear for two months.
Below, please find ten too expensive summer sandals that will break your heart, along with their closest cheaper counterparts, to help you try to move on. Let’s not think of it as settling. Let’s think of it as financial self-care.
Black strappy sandals
Let’s get this the hell out of the way: These are the sandals I wanted.
And a much-cheaper — and really, quite similar — alternative.
Bright-blue mules
Vibrant, life-changing Maryam Nassir Zadeh mules.
And perfectly nice Urban Outfitter copycats.
Earthy-green slingbacks
The prettiest green suede sandals that I lusted over for all of summer 2017, and frankly have yet to get over.
And these are, y’know, nice and green, too.
Sunny mid-heel mules
Beautiful, elegant Mansur Gavriel mules.
But really, don’t be ridiculous: Buy this Everlane pair instead.
Neutral-colored glove shoes
Did you say you wanted the Martiniano glove slipper?
Fancy mary janes
You want these Rachel Comey high-heeled mary janes for your summer weddings, don’t you?
Don’t do it, my friend! Go for these.
Walking sandals
The comfiest stylish shoe you’ll ever wear. I own them in this natural color and in black.
And their practically identical, Strat-favorite counterparts for $30 less.
The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best women’s jeans, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, ultra-flattering pants, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
Every editorial product is independently selected. If you buy something through our links, New York may earn an affiliate commission.