Why you should just give in and buy 'ugly/pretty' summer sandals already

You’ve most likely heard them before you’ve seen them, the thundering clunk! or swish! that “ugly/pretty” shoes make as their padded rubber platform scuffs up against the concrete of any street or subway platform.

You’ve also most likely pondered the allure of a chunky rubber platform attached to the bottom of one’s foot during the hottest months of the year, wondering despite their obvious comfort, do they really “pull a look together”? Are they even flattering? Will this trend ever die? Do you need a pair before it does?

Well, to be honest, yes; yes; no; and yes.

After the Birkenstock was revived last summer and waddled into the closets of every woman from here to the hinterlands, it having a very chic revamp from its original granola beginnings, the “ugly/pretty” shoe — the chunky, uncomfortably awkward flat sandal — was back. Unapologetically casual, it was capable of being paired with everything, and I do mean everything. Dresses for dinner, jeans for brunch, shorts for the beach, pajama pants for a run to the bodega. It pushed back on what had been considered acceptable “shoe game” and became the game, if you will.

But trends die, right? I mean, yes, most do, but not this one.

Just look at former Lucky Magazine EIC’s Eva Chen’s endorsement of the Birkenstock Boston slide, which admittedly, is too ugly even for my damn quirky tastes. With a jutting curved toe in the shape of a duck’s bill, the Boston slide is the most polarizing “ugly/pretty” shoe yet — however, as Refinery29 reports in a story published yesterday, the shoe is currently sold out and on backorder in 12 out of 13 styles. It seems, just as Chen declared, “resistance is futile.”

Hence why we found five options that are pretty damn fun once you get over your initial confusion. My suggestion? Pair them with everything and just accept this is happening.

Birkenstock Arizona Sandals, $99.00. Available at ASOS.

Worishofer Women’s 251 Leather Slide, $59.95. Available at Tip Top Shoes.

Teva Flatform Universal, $49.95. Available at OnlineShoes.

Dolce Vita Genivee Leather Espadrille Slide, $110.00. Available at Nasty Gal.

HUEY2 Maxi Jelly Sandals by JuJu, $8.00. Available at TopShop.

Kelsi Dagger Brooklyn Philomena Wooden Wedge, $140.00. Available at Urban Outfitters.

Marjon Carlos is a style and culture writer for Fusion who boasts a strong turtleneck game and opinions on the subjects of fashion, gender, race, pop culture, and men’s footwear.