How to choose a heeled sandal
A sandal is the shoe that leaves the instep bare and is held in place by straps, bands or buckles. Vicenza shoes are leather sandals for women built on slightly curved block heels: a shape that rests on a wide surface and stays steady even on uneven floors or cobblestones.
Height on its own says little about wearability; what counts is the bearing surface. A seven-centimetre block heel spreads the weight over the whole base of the heel, while a five-centimetre stiletto concentrates it on a few square millimetres, and the second tires the foot sooner than the first. The curve of the block then shifts the load slightly backwards and relieves the forefoot.
A spool heel flares at both ends and is narrower in the middle: on the ground it rests like a block, but in profile it has the lightness of a slim heel. It is the shape that buys height without weighing down the line of the ankle, and it works with a knee-length skirt as well as with wide trousers that reveal only its base.
Straps decide how a sandal holds far more than the heel does. An ankle strap with several holes adapts to the evening swelling of the foot; a crossover over the instep keeps the foot back and stops it sliding towards the toe, which is the typical flaw of open-fronted sandals. Fringes and metal buckles change the visual weight of the model, not the fit.
Smooth leather and patent leather behave differently. Smooth leather absorbs, takes the shape of the foot after a few wears and is maintained with a neutral cream; patent is a leather finished with a glossy film that does not absorb water but keeps the mark of every crease, and it is cleaned with a soft, barely damp cloth, without solvents or alcohol.
When the occasion calls for a covered foot, the parallel choice is court shoes, which keep the same heel under a closed upper; and if the heel is not needed at all, ballet flats cover the same register on a flat sole.
