SHEILA | Open toe sandals on a low block heel

A little height without the wobble. I stood through the whole ceremony and walked back to the car in them.

Somewhere along the way a heel stopped being worth it. Not because you cannot wear one, but because the arithmetic changed: the lift is nice for the photographs and awful for everything either side of them, and there is always a moment on grass or gravel where you are watching your feet instead of the people you came to see.

The heel here is low and blocked, which is a different proposition entirely. Your foot stays close to level, the base is wide enough to stand on, and the ankle strap adjusts so nothing shifts as you walk. The toe is open, which keeps them cool on a hot day, and the sole is cushioned underneath. In brown, black or white, they work for a summer wedding as easily as for a long lunch.

Why women our age keep coming back to them

• Height you do not have to negotiate. A low block heel lifts you without tipping your weight forward onto the ball of your foot, which is what makes a taller heel unbearable after an hour.
• The ankle strap keeps the foot in place. Adjustable, so the sandal moves with you rather than sliding under you on a smooth floor.
• Open at the toe. Worth more than it sounds in July, when a closed shoe is the reason you go home early.
• Cushioned sole. The padding underneath is what lets you stand in them, not just walk to the table and sit down.

Buy more, save more

• Buy 2, save 10%
• Buy 3, save 15%
• Buy 4, save 20%

The discount is applied automatically at checkout.

How they fit

True to size, in US 5 through 10. With an open toe there is no front seam to press against, so length is more forgiving than in a closed shoe. If you are between two sizes, take the larger one and use the ankle strap to hold your foot back in the sandal.

30 days to change your mind

If they are not right, send them back within 30 days for a full refund. No restocking fee, and no explanation needed.

A few recent reviews

Wore the white ones to my nephew's wedding in Sedona. Grass, gravel, no trouble.
Roseanne H., Scottsdale

The heel is lower than it looks in the photograph, which for me was a point in its favor.
Trudy S., Naples

I bought black for evenings and brown for daytime and that is my summer sorted.
Ardith W., 66