113. I Shopped The Shoes On Your September Wishlist
Reviewing The Row, Emme Parsons, COS, Aeyde, and more.
Buying fashion online is harder than it should be. I spend hours on Substack chat, and I see you - post after post asking for peer reviews on the sizing and comfort of the latest viral pair of shoes. There’s no shortage of fashion content, but honest try-before-you-buy feedback is still rare. Too often, I’m also influenced into purchases that don’t feel right, wasting time scrolling and money on pieces that don’t move my wardrobe forward. That’s why I’m bringing back one of Every Body Gets Dressed's most popular columns: I Shopped Your Wishlist. Each month, I review the most talked-about brands in depth, with input from experts and industry peers, to cut through the noise. Joining me this month is my friend , a fashion writer who once ran her own high-end shoe brand. She is an expert in how shoes are made, why material quality matters, and what good construction can do for your foot. Past editions of the column are here.
To give you a taste of what to expect beyond the paywall, here’s a past edition of this column that is FREE to read:
Fisherman sandals are the perfect September shoe. They fit into the odd liminal space between boot and flip-flop season. When you’re not ready to fully say goodbye to your toes for the next two seasons, fisherman sandals reign supreme. They offer ample coverage but ventilation, especially depending on the design. Let’s get into it.
Aeyde Whit Leather Sandals, $223 $495
Buy them new and on sale: here.
Sizing
Expect a narrow and relatively tight fit with these sandals. The ankle straps also don’t give you much slack to work with, so if you have a wider instep, you’ll do ample wriggling trying to get these on. I don’t normally recommend buying shoes that take you a serious amount of time to break in. However, if your foot is naturally narrower, the sheen of the leather is beautiful, and these may be worth your time to work in.
The Expert Take: What’s Good
At first glance, these are one of the sleeker fisherman sandal pairs I’ve seen. The square toe isn’t overpronounced, and the clean woven leather and silver buckle are hallmarks of a great minimalist shoe! With the right foot type, these could be a perfect late-summer/early autumn sandal for you. They’re classic and won’t feel dated in a few years. It pains me to share this, but this is where the good ends.
The Expert Take: What’s Not So Good
Unfortunately, after putting them on, I wasn't as impressed with the fit or look. Do you remember learning about pilgrims (and their buckle shoes) in elementary school? I certainly haven’t thought about this topic much since those childhood days until I put these on my feet. I hate to say it, but despite the buckle sitting off to the side, these still gave me that vibe. That's not to say I don't love a buckle, but it wasn't my favorite pair.
Fit-wise, they didn’t thrill me either. They were extremely tight and tough to slip into, which doesn’t gel with my idea of a good sandal. Even the strap that wraps over the top of your ankle was shorter than I expected. It’s not ideal if you have a wider or longer foot.
As a final note, there were scuffs on the buckles, which I can't really fault the brand for, as these things happen.
Would I Buy Them?
No. If you have a narrow foot with an instep that isn’t too high and narrow ankles, these are probably a better fit for you. As someone with wider feet, these don’t work for me. The sheen of the leather for the price didn’t blow me out of the water. They’re currently on sale for 50% off (and a full-size run is available, unlike other shoes in this lineup — perhaps not a coincidence?), and I think that price is more fitting and much more worth it if your foot fits the description above.
🤎 A Shoe Designer’s Tips for Breaking In Leather Shoes 🤎
‘When you find a pair that is destined for your shoe rack (regardless of how uncomfortable), it’s worth knowing how to speed up the break-in process. To start, ensure that they’re not at a discomfort level that’s impossible to improve. For instance, a shoe that squeezes your toes together or leaves deep indentations in your skin will only stretch so much. A bit of rubbing, however, is manageable.
My best advice is to prep both the shoe and your foot. Feet get sweaty and swell. Add in extra heat and sticky leather, and you get awful friction. To mitigate this, wear them around the house with thick socks. Apply an anti-chafing stick or Vaseline to your skin where the shoe rubs and moleskine or Leukotape to the same spot on the shoe. If you know you’re going to keep the pair, I recommend doing the same thick-socks technique, but outside. Your shoes will feel different on outdoor surfaces than they will on your carpets or flooring at home’.
The Row Fisherman Woven Sporty Sandal, $1,090
Buy them new here.
Buy them secondhand: IT37, IT37.5, IT39.
