How Moda Positano sandals are made
A sandal is the open shoe that leaves the toes and most of the instep uncovered: it is the shape you reach for when the temperature climbs and the foot needs air. Across the sandals available on this page the toe is open on every model and the stated composition is one hundred per cent leather. That is a concrete difference from a synthetic sandal: leather absorbs moisture instead of holding it against the skin, and with wear it takes the shape of the foot inside it.
A 2 centimetre heel changes the way the foot lands more than the figure suggests. It lifts the heel just enough to keep you from walking completely flat, without pushing weight onto the forefoot the way a high heel does: it is the height that lets you stay standing for hours. Every sandal in stock on this page has that measurement, classed as a low heel, which is why the same pair works on a holiday day and on a city one.
Two different fastenings answer two different ways of wearing a sandal. The slide-on models go on without lacing and are the immediate choice, indoors or at the beach; the thong model with an ankle strap holds the foot in place once the stride lengthens. The insole changes too: padded leather on some pairs, full-grain on others. Full-grain leather takes the imprint of the foot and keeps it, which is why it improves with wear instead of flattening out.
Rhinestone detailing runs across every pair in stock, set on the band that crosses the foot. It is what moves a sandal from daytime to evening without going near a high heel, and it earns its place in summer above all, when the rest of an outfit is light and the foot is the only place left to add a little shine. If you are looking for other open shoes, the full range sits in the women's sandals category.
Sandal leather gets dirty in a different way from the leather of a closed shoe, because the foot sits directly on the insole and moisture works on the flesh side rather than the grain. A wipe with a dry cloth at the end of the day and a conditioner two or three times a season are enough to stop the leather stiffening. On pairs with a full-grain insole it is worth avoiding long exposure to salt water, which dries to a pale tidemark and hardens the fibre.
