Ask a Picky Guy: Slip-on Summer Shoes to Walk My Kid to Camp
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Whether he’s trying onall the pants at Buck Mason,installing a mini-split heat pumpin his house,or gettingMark Duplass to share his favorite backpacking gear, senior writer Michael Zhao has quickly become the Strategist’s resident picky guy. He’s here to answer your questions about men’s style, highly specific appliance hunts, impossible gifting assignments, and whatever else you need a picky guy’s take on. Send your questions to pickyguy@nymag.com.
“I need some reasonably stylish slip-on summer shoes for walking my kid to camp. I have slightly wide and tall feet that can be tricky to fit into a lot of shoes, including Birkenstocks. Open to mules or slides but trying to avoid plastic, which cuts my feet.”
Wide feet get a lot of attention in shoe fitting, but a tall (or high-instep) foot can be just as difficult to accommodate — especially for slip-ons, which often lack the vertical adjustability of a laced shoe. I didn’t even realize I had high insteps until I got fitted for ski boots a couple of winters back, and now I can’t unfeel it. It makes sense that stiffer materials can give your feet grief, but there are plenty of softer, more adjustable options available.
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SeaVees is best known for its plimsolls, but its mules have become a sleeper hit in recent years. I tried the rubber Williams but found them to be a bit too tall for my tastes. These leather ones should be more breathable. I’d recommend sizing up if you’re between sizes, as they run a bit short.
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SeaVees also just released a line of sandals that combine casual Birkenstock styling with a more adjustable Velcro strap and a grippier Vibram sole. I have been wearing theCape fisherman sandalsfor the past few days and love how soft the leather is.
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If you prefer a bit more cushion, the latest Arc’teryx recovery shoe is like a memory-foam mattress for your feet. The upper is made from a stretchy mesh that’s so airy it feels like wearing a sandal. The heel strap can be pushed down for easier wearing or pulled up for a more secure fit.
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For a firmer take on recovery shoes, Salomon’s RX Moc provides plenty of cushion and ventilation with a sockless-friendly cork insole. I had previously tried on theslides— and actually preferred those colors — but they sold out before I was ready to commit.
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It’s surprisingly difficult to find a men’s mule in the style of a fisherman sandal, but these minimalist slip-ons with an extra-wide toe box fit the bill. Designed in Finland and made in Portugal, they offer just a bit of arch support to pad your feet on long days.
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If you’d like a truly closed-toe version that’s still breathable, Toast recently started carrying the woven Roma, which shares the same flexible footbed.
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Sabah Lido Nero
These Italian-made leather sandals from Sabah have a classic look and were immediately comfortable on my own high insteps. The leather should also stretch to fit the shape of your foot better over time. Note that, unlike other Sabahs, these fit true to size.
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I like that these minimalist mules look pretty much like normal slip-on sneakers, even though they have a wide toe box for a more barefoot feel. The double-gore design should provide more vertical ease for your high instep.
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If you missed out on theNN.07 x Grenson loafer mule collaboration, these G.H.Bass Venetian slip-ons are a nice consolation prize. Pair them with a beloved crew sock (any color but white, please). I’d recommend going up at least a half size to make the notoriously tough Weejun break-in process a bit more bearable.
“I have my wedding coming up in a few weeks, and I’m looking for a white button-down to go with my linen suit. I generally prefer oxfords to thinner dress-shirt fabrics (like poplin), but I am concerned about breathability in the heat. I am undecided on wearing a tie.”
My general advice for any shirt meant to be worn with a suit is to make sure you get it tailored, which means shopping somewhere that will do it for you or budgeting an extra $80 to get it done by a tailor. To that end, I’ve been sending a lot of my friends to the Upper East Side lately since Sid Mashburn and Ralph Lauren both offer free alterations on full-price purchases and are just a few blocks apart and the Armoury flagship is also nearby. It’s the perfect excuse to check what’s new at the Met and grab a burger at JG Melon. Which is exactly what I ended up doing after getting this same question twice from two different people.
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Even though it lacks a button-down collar, I think this extra-light royal oxford-cloth dress shirt is actually what most guys have in mind when they say they want a white button-down: a not-too-formal dressy shirt that doesn’t need starch to look its best. Unlike with a true button-down, the subtly lined spread collar effortlessly holds its shape without puckering, even with the top buttons undone. Construction quality is solid throughout with thread-shanked buttons and consistently tight stitching on every seam.
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For a true button-down, the Armoury’s Isaac Oxford is made in Japan out of Japanese cloth and is worth the splurge if you’re shopping for a special occasion — most of all, your own wedding. As with the Sid Mashburn option, the fabric is finer than your typical oxford with a subtle sheen and a slightly silky hand. But the construction feels subtly sharper throughout (look at that crisp shoulder!), befitting its premium price.
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I’m including this classic-fit J.Crew broken-in oxford more as a point of reference than a recommendation for this specific scenario. Whereas the previous two shirts are sold by neck circumference, this comes in less-precise sportswear sizing (S, M, L, etc.), resulting in a less-refined fit that may look a bit untidy beneath a tailored jacket. It would look great with jeans or khakis and a chore coat, but I’d recommend something slimmer for this occasion.
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I thinkRalph Lauren’s Custom-Fit Poplin Shirtfrom the Polo line is an incredible value, but the material doesn’t align with what you’re looking for. The Purple Label Twill does, however, and you might as well try it on if you have the opportunity. You only get married once (hopefully), but you’ll never regret having a perfect white dress shirt around for special occasions of all kinds.
Other not-too-formal white dress shirts I like
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Another made-in-Japan option from a legendary Ivy brand, made out of airy royal oxford cloth.
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A nice Oxford dress shirt that doesn’t come in half-sizes.
I am visiting Switzerland this summer and want a pair of hiking shoes that look good in museums (and not too touristy) but still perform well on trails.
Having just returned from across the pond, I can confirm that vaguely ready to hike is the default European shoe look these days. I think I counted more Salomons than Nikes in Paris and even morein London. The XT-6 is still the most popular, but there are many less saturated options available from other brands, not to mention Salomon itself.
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I like to think of this as the XT-6’s edgier cousin with tats and piercings. It still has the Quicklace system, but the webbing lace-holders have been replaced by shiny metallic ones. It’s also made from an airier mesh that’s perfect for summer.
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These mesh La Sportivas frommy hunt for approach shoeswould also be perfect for this trip. The svelte profile looks nice in the city, but they’re literally designed for scrambling around rocky European mountain ranges, and they’re super breathable for hot summer hikes.
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This limited-edition collaboration with one of my favorite NYC menswear brands may get a bit hot on the trail, but I love the look. The contrast stitching evokes theUnknown Pleasuresalbum cover.
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Another recent Keen collaboration that feels greater than the sum of its parts. The Hyperports are already a bit more modern than the classic Newports, and Snow Peak’s tonal colorway makes them look even sleeker.
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A longtime favorite of Keanu Reeves,co-signed inSecret Strategistby DSA candidate for New York State Assembly David Orkin. I’d get the non-waterproof low-tops to maximize breathability in the summer.
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I know you don’t want to look like anAmericantourist, but what about a European one? Pair these with your favorite hiking socks — you’ll blend right in.
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Chacos are more of an American phenomenon, but they fit my feet a lot better than Tevas. They were basically the only shoes I wore duringthe summer I spent farming in France.
Other summer hiking shoes I like
What I’m wearing: Natural-fiber outdoorsy jackets
People have been combining waxed fabrics with woolen insulation to wear outdoors long before polyester and nylon came around. But synthetic materials have taught us to expect a standard of packability, breathability, and water-resistance that these heritage materials just can’t match. Now that popular opinion is turning against plastics, many are looking for natural-fiber alternatives, so I called in a couple of recent releases made from newer fabrics to see what they’re like in person.
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Armedangels is a sustainability-focused German clothing brand that just launched in the U.S. earlier this year. Its hooded windbreaker has the silky look and feel of a ripstop nylon jacket, but it’s actually woven from 100 percentLyocell fibersderived from wood pulp. It’s also treated with a PFA-free, durable-water-resistant (DWR) coating that provides some light protection against drizzle, but it’s nowhere near as waterproof as a rain jacket with a waterproof membrane. It’s a good amount of protection for a just-in-case jacket, but I wouldn’t pack it if there was rain in the forecast.
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This lightweight anorak is made mostly from hemp with a bit of recycled polyester for durability, Tencel for texture, and Spandex for stretch. It has the look of a parka, but unlike the Armedangels option, it makes no claim to wind- or water-resistance. As a result, it’s a bit more breathable. It’s best viewed as a light fleece for taking the edge off a chilly morning or evening on your way to or from a bouldering objective or perhaps for providing a bit of sun protection on an exposed crag.
One more thing: the all-in-one espresso machine I can’t help but love
As a coffee snob and gearhead — my machine in Vermont is alever-actuated Cremina— I’m meant to enjoy the mindful moments spent measuring the beans, meticulously preparing the puck, steaming the milk, and recalibrating each step of the process to make the next drink better than the last. And I do. But I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that the Breville Touch Impress can achieve similar results with a fraction of the effort. From measuring and grinding to pulling and steaming, the machine does almost everything short of moving the portafilter from grind to brew, pouring the milk, and cleaning up after itself. And unlike what you get from the truly automatic all-in-one machines that just squirt liquids into a cup, the result actually tastes like a handmade coffee drink as opposed to something you’d get from a European rest stop.
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Breville makes other all-in-one machines, but the Impress’s assisted-tamping feature is effective enough to justify the premium. Simply pulling the lever on the left side ensures a ready-to-brew puck each time. So long as the grind size is correct (and the machine will coach you on how to adjust it if it isn’t), the Impress will produce a consistently decent double shot of espresso in about 25 to 35 seconds, depending on the coffee.
Durability is always a concern with all-in-one machines, as the failure of any individual component renders the whole thing useless. This is especially a concern with this machine because it has many plastic parts in unexpected places (including the portafilter holder in the group head and the interior of the steam wand). But I’ve now had this thing for more than six months and it’s been nearly flawless, except for one consistent issue: Its lack of temperature control means it can’t get hot enough to consistently extract light-roast coffees, even though medium-light blends work just fine. Also, the automatic milk-steaming feature doesn’t always produce the microfoam needed to pour latte art, but it’s at least as consistent as an under-rested, overworked barista during the morning rush.
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