I Only Show the Tips of My Toes
To be clear, my feet are perfectly fit to see the light of day. Still, my inability to schedule pedicures in a timely mannerhas made megenerally reluctant to expose my toes in public, even when swamp foot andsandy beaches make sandals a functional and fashionable must.I have tried various work-arounds: mesh flats and woven uppers (exposed-but-not-open-toe styles, which completely defeats the purpose), fisherman sandals (closer but ultimately just another exposed-not-open-toe style that, despite its name, is definitely more of a “shoe”), mules of all sorts (an exposed heel does not a sandal make), and friulanes (there’s just too much shoe to scratch that barely-there sandal itch).
In all my years of searching, I have come across only one style capable of achieving this elusive balance: avarcas, a very bare-bones style created more than a century ago on the Spanish island of Menorca. Originally worn by Menorcan farmers, they’ve since become ubiquitous throughout all of Spain. “They’re a classic,” says my native Spanish friend Luna. “Everyone wears them, from little kids to grandmas.” She also pointed out that avarcas (or abarcas) are what they’re called in the Catalonian dialect spoken on Menorca. They’re usually referred to as menorquinas (“Because they come from Menorca”) in the rest of the country.
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Whatever you want to call them, the classic style is the same: a thick, flat rubber outsole; a sturdy slingback strap; and a wide, single-band upper that starts at the ball of the foot and ends mere millimeters below the tip of the outsole — long enough to hide my poor, neglected toes but still open so they can breathe. And because the majority of my foot remains exposed, I feel seasonally and sartorially appropriate.
I get my pairs from Avarcas USA, which imports its made-by-hand, sustainably sourced shoes from the classic Menorcan manufacturer Pons. The brand makes a great stand-in for everything from flip-flops and Birkenstocks to more minimalist single-strap styles. The toes may be hidden, but the majority of the foot is exposed, and the outsole is cut wide to give the splayed-toe effect of an open-toe shoe. The upper is traditionally made of leather (as are all of my pairs, in both plain and woven iterations), which looks refined in darker shades, leans a little crunchy in warmer tones, and is particularly summery in a pop or pastel color. I also have one pair with a molded footbed (a new addition to the Avarcas USA lineup), and there are plenty of versions out there with textile uppers, covered backs, and a variety of different outsoles and heel heights. (Note that the length of the vamp can run a bit short on non-classic styles, so make sure you read the specs before you order.)
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Pons Frailera
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They’re also downright sturdy. Authentic avarcas, like my Pons pairs, are stamped with the Menorca Island Council’s “Avarca de Menorca” seal of approval, which guarantees a hefty minimum thickness for both the upper and outsole, a reinforced rear strap that never falls down, and a heavy gauge thread to hold everything together. I have worn my pairs while pounding the disgusting pavement in both New York and Los Angeles for multiple summers in a row, and not once have I accidentally slipped into or brushed against the grossness that lay in my path. My Pons are the easiest part of my summer wardrobe.
More no-toe-show summer shoes we’ve written about
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