I’ve been on a slip-on shoe spree lately. I bought a new pair of espadrilles for the first time in almost a decade: https://diegos.com/.

I added a pair of black Sanuks (see Finds) that are currently my house shoes, but will venture outside when it’s a little warmer.

A pair of the new Allbirds Loungers just arrived at my doorstep yesterday. Funny -- I did not like the look of the Allbirds Runners on my feet. The higher vamp, combined with a more tapered, lower-profile toebox (and probably the lighter color I tried them in) just did not work for me. And maybe they read as too sporty. The Loungers are more loafer-y, relaxed but also streamlined. And the color is great -- got the navy. I can’t get around it -- I like dark shoes on myself, not light. My hair is dark, my feet are big -- white/light shoes are such a no-go.

Anyway, my big realization for this season is that I don’t love really low vamps on myself (I’ll wear a mary jane or strappy ballet flat, but an open ballet flat is just too open to my eye), and some “dainty” loafers hit too low as well. But I do like something a bit lower than a traditional oxford. The classic slip-on sneaker silhouette is great for me. I always loved slip-ons as a kid, especially cotton canvas ones -- cheap ones from Payless and Ames when I was really little, and then Vans as I got older and more brand-aware. I didn’t really move away from those ‘til high school, when I got into Chuck Taylors. I think, by that point, my region had an actual skater culture, which I wasn’t a part of, so I couldn’t get away with Vans anymore. Anyway, adding slip-ons back into my closet feels like coming full circle. Bonus is that they seem to work well with almost every pant length: ankle length, cropped, full-length, wide, skinny, cuffed, midi and knee length skirts… It also makes me realize that, if I continue my sandal hunt, I should look for straps that approximate the proportions of a slip-on sneaker. Slides sandals often hit a little lower than I like, but gladiators and ankle-straps are a little too high. Birk Arizona’s are probably just about right, but I tried some last weekend and realized how much I dislike Birks (not even an aesthetic problem, just not a great fit for me).

So, I’m curious -- what do others find to be their best vamp height? I’m speaking strictly warm-weather here, for myself. I just spent the past six months in nothing-but-boots. I don’t even want to think about boots!