The Summer Solstice 2020 occurred last night.  The longest day of the year.  Luckily, Bonaparte, my son, Roman and I enjoyed a late dinner on the deck with great conversation and food.  I didn’t even have time to be depressed over the fact that beginning today, the days become progressively shorter.

Last night it WAS a table for three. Outdoors. We commenced while the sun was shining and ended when the Big Dipper was in full view!

Yes. That’s how my thought process works.  The most depressing day of the year is the Summer Solstice because the days following grow shorter. On the other hand, my favorite day of the year isn’t Christmas, nor is it Thanksgiving or any holiday—it’s the Winter Solstice.  And that is simply because the days following become longer.

My inner Druid wanted to do a Solstice dance and prance in high hopes we can keep daylight longer all year!

Alas. It is summer!

It’s that time of year again.  And even though we are slowly coming out of the quarantine lockdown, and we may not be out-and-about with the vim and vigor of the past, we still need to remember a certain part of our body that needs some extra love. 

The feet.

Ahhhh.  The feet.  Les Pieds. The Dawgs.  Taken when my feet were well-pedicured I’m missing France very much this summer!  My feet were very happy that day driving to Antibes!

My poor dawgs haven’t had a proper pedicure in over three months.  And my attempts at polishing my toenails have been feeble at best and horrific at worst. But my feet know that I’m trying to give them the love they so deserve. 

My poor feet.  I can’t even apply polish on my toes without making it look like a complete fail!  At least I went with a light pink rather than Big Apple Red!

They haven’t been on vacation due to the pandemic and cancelled travel plans.  They haven’t even been out and about much because my Covid life consists of waking up.  Getting dressed. Getting into the car to drive to work.  Sitting in my cubicle at my computer all day.  Monday through Friday.  Getting back into the car to come home.  Arriving home.  Preparing dinner.  Then going upstairs to relax and it begins again the next day.

I am sure that my feet miss being at the beach as much as I do.  Presently, they miss walking around various areas of the Cote d’Azur.  They miss the cool of the pool.

Today, my feet would have been relaxing by the pool at our apartment in Theoule. I would have been sitting under an umbrella reading a book.  Enjoying the sun.  Instead, ‘m indoors and my feet need some lovin’!

They miss the rocky bottom of the Mediterranean.  They miss the feel of sand between their toes.  And miss the texture of both soft and hard grass under the soles.

The feet miss the sand of L’Estagnol and the rocky bottom of the sea.  

I’ll tell you, there is nothing like well-polished toes and the feeling of freshly-pedicured feet upon the inner soles of sandals!

But the one thing they don’t miss is the feeling of winter feet. 

For sure they are not missing being crammed into tights then into boots!

Yeah. They don’t miss being crammed into my favored pointy-toed heels nor do they miss being squished into boots.  They don’t miss that tightness of heavy socks over them to ensure that the boots worn in frigid conditions will keep them warm. They don’t miss the heavy sock-slippers I traipse around the house in when the winter weather arrives.

Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE my pointy-toed shoes. But–to everything there is a season. And it’s time to Turn, Turn, Turn into summerized footwear!

Now, they are happy.  And they are happy because the summer footwear has been taken out for the season!

My summer uniform. An easy summer dress and Tropezienne sandals!

If you are like me, you realize that summer is the time for dressing freedom.  Freedom from and outerwear and heavy jeans and pants.  It’s that time of year when the lightweight dresses come out of hibernation for the warm three or four months we can enjoy until the days become cool again.

But for now, it’s all about the shoes.  Wearing nothing clunkier than the possibility of the soles of a wedged sandal or open toed one. 

Bring on the summer.  Aren’t these wedges pretty?  Lilly Pultizer definitely has the monopoly on great golden wedges!

The heels are strappy.  The feet are breathing freely.

Hmmmm. Hmmmm.  Strappy heels are so summer-cool!

The sandals are flat and comfortable. And the feet thank you.

My flat and comfy Palm Beach Sandals. This still is from a YouTube video I made on my summer shoes.  Except I had to delete it because I was wearing a short dress and you could see clear up my legs to my origin of the world–and even though I was well-covered, it wasn’t a good thing!

And so, I wanted to take you on a little tour of the shoes I’m wearing  this summer. 

More golden wedges from Lilly Pulitzer.  I don’t know why I’m such a sucker for gold footwear during the summer–but I am!

Be mindful, if you will, that the majority of these shoes have been with me for a while. And I’m not one to go out year after year to replenish anything trendy.

Classic Dr. Scholl’s. I’ve got two pair!

Part of this is sticking to classic footwear styles.

My love for Rondini never ceases.   These custom-fit sandals are worth every euro—converted into USD!  At an average of about $150, I’ve had some of these sandals over 10 years and they haven’t worn out. 

My Rondini Collection.  It WAS supposed to grow this summer…

I was planning on treating myself to these gold leather Bikini sandals from Rondini this summer.  Oh well, there’s always next summer!

The Bikini!  My favorite of all the Rondini sandals. I’ve been wearing these at least three times a week and they look so great with everything. 

The leather, as it ages, becomes softer and achieves a beautiful patina. 

These Tropeziennes by Rondini are over ten years old.  Chippy snacked on a strap years ago.  They were brought back and repaired and are good as new! But the leather ages so beautifully!

There’s no way I can resist a strappy heeled sandal.  I gravitate toward these simple heeled gems because that’s just what they are. Simple and classic. 

A nude strappy heeled sandal is perfection for summer wear..

As is gold!

Flip-flops?  To the beach. But we haven’t been there yet.

Surprisingly, these fancy flip-flops have been with me for about nine years. Old Navy created a winner with these navy beauties.  Beach sandals!

The Great American Jack Rogers and Palm Beach Sandals bring forth the iconic Jackie Kennedy years—and also a standard summertime sandal. 

Shades of Jackie Kennedy.  I, just as Jackie did, prefer the Palm Beach Sandals due to the narrower fit!  But I still dig my Jacks!

My personal preference?  The Palm Beach brand because they fit my narrow feet much better.  The “Jacks” stretch out way too much—and even though the brand does offer some sandals in a narrow width, they still, over time, manage to stretch out across my precious dawgs.

Do I ever wear closed-toe shoes during the summer? 

Well…. rarely.  If I wake up to a deluge of precipitation, perhaps I’ll don a pair of ballet flats, but not my good Repetto’s.

Old-School J. Crew Made-In-Italy Ballet Flats are my preference for nasty summer rains.

And during those weekend downpours, the oldest pair of Weejuns I own. Over 20 years old and still going strong!

And when in the comfort of my home, it’s the bare feet that make me the happiest.

At home I love my feet shoeless. Just like I love my titties braless!

Do tell.  How do you summarize your feet?  Do you wear the full-on closed-toed shoes?  Are you a sandal fan?  Flip-flops?  Are you itching to get a pedicure when this pandemic subsides?

Tell me about your summer shoes please!!

And most of all—are you sad that the days are getting shorter?