Giuseppe Zanotti Flat T-Strap Sandal

A little something about me—I’m not really a girly girl. I do love fashion, and I’m really into accessories like shoes and handbags. Obviously. But you’ll find me in jeans much more often than a skirt or dress. Granted, I don’t mean ripped up, paint spattered jeans. But I like putting a chic pair of skinny jeans together with a great platform sandal, or a nice bootleg jean with, well, boots. But every so often, something feminine and flowery will catch my eye and I’ll step out of character a bit, if I like it enough. That’s what happened with these Giuseppe Zanotti flat T-strap sandals.

So their real name is E90516. Seriously, he needs to be more creative with his shoe names. It annoys me that he creates such gorgeous shoes, and then slaps an alphanumeric label on them. But the man does know shoes, and I don’t think I’ve run across a design of his yet that I didn’t like. This sandal is absolutely flat, with just a half-inch heel, so I wouldn’t wear it with jeans, but shorts or even…yes, I might even don a skirt to wear these sandals. The flower accent is pretty and feminine, but not overly so. And I love them in this color, called Silk Alba, but it also comes in Nero, which is black. The dainty straps have a side buckle closure, allowing a custom fit. The upper is made from nappa leather, while the sole and lining are a sturdier leather for both comfort and long wear. They were $599, but are now just $428.40 at Zappos.com.

Budget Saving Alternative 1

Ok, so even though that price is a bargain for a pair of Zanottis, it’s still a bit steep, right? You can still get a great flat sandal with a feminine touch without taking out a loan. The Poetic Licence Summerville flat sandal offers the same gorgeous look with a T-strap adorned with floral appliqués. This silver sandal is complemented by violet flowers, the yellow gold with orange and yellow, and the black sandal has pink and yellow flowers, so you can choose the colors you like, or that go best with your summer wardrobe, or your nail color, because you’re not going to wear sandals without getting a pedicure first, right? I didn’t think so. The Summerville has a leather upper, a man made sole, and a quarter-inch heel. It’s also available for a great price. It normally retails for $94.95, but you can get it for $69.60 at Endless.com.

Budget Saving Alternative 2

You know what I was saying about creative shoe names? Yeah, well, I meant creative, not just misspelled. Steve Madden needs to work on that. Regardless, his Clustter T-strap flat sandal is a really pretty addition to any closet. The T-strap is covered with leather flower cutouts in several fun shapes and sizes. They wrap around the foot, ending at the adjustable ankle strap. The rest of the upper is also leather, while the sole is man made and sits on a quarter-inch heel. I think this red is hot, but it’s also available in purple, white, and yellow. Get a couple of colors since it’s only $49.95 at Endless.com.