Miista Sandals Review
These Summer Sandals Gave My Unpedicured Toes Major FOMO, So I Painted Them
I sincerely admire all the women in my life who are still wearing heels in the midst of a pandemic. My cousin says it makes her feel feminine; a friend of mine says it's the only way she feels some sense of power and control in a sheltering-in-place world. All valid reasons to sport a heel, but just not enough to get me out of my Nike slides.
For five months now, my feet have gotten used to the luxury of not wearing strappy, circulation-cutting high heels for 12 consecutive hours. They've been able to breathe and be free of blisters and swelling. That said, as my city starts to lift lockdown orders, I've been venturing out to social-distance gatherings, and I'd like to arrive in something a bit more polished. My friends convinced me heels would do the trick.
The only problem was, all my heels are either in storage or highly impractical (my stilettos don't exactly scream Whole Foods material). So I started my hunt for heeled sandals that are as comfortable as my Nike slides but give me that sense of power my friend spoke so highly of. Scrolling through Instagram, I spotted these Miista sandals and just knew they were one of those items I had to have.
At first glance, they perfectly resembled the slipper-like vibes I was going for. They're chic without trying too hard. The shoes fulfil my need for comfort and my lack of motivation. The ocean-blue colour reminds me of iconic summer beach days, pre-COVID, of course. The only things keeping me from wearing them were my unpedicured feet.
I don't dislike my feet. They are probably above average in appearance, and I'm fortunate to have hydrated, uncracked feet. However, due to running and nail salons being closed, my feet haven't been cared for in five months. My toe nails needed major shaping, and my feet in general would benefit from an exfoliation.
As a solution, I gave myself a luxury at-home spa pedicure. I figured it would have been a disservice to my new, better-than-life sandals to slide my unpedicured feet into them. After a soak, cuticle trimming, filing, and buffing, my feet were worthy of my new purchase. And my god, they are such a match.
The sandals are the perfect hybrid between comfort and fashion. The leather appears durable for multiple seasons, and the cosy lamb uppers make me feel like my feet are on a cloud. The sandals are also very open with no back coverage, giving my feet the breathability they need in humid summer weather.
The shoes come in six different colours. Personally, I have my eye on the lime ones next. Keep in mind they run big. Originally I ordered a six and a half (my usual size), but when I received them, they were more than half a size big. Unless you're a size five, the brand doesn't offer whole sizes. This put me in a panic when I exchanged mine for a five and a half, but I'm happy to report they fit like a glove.
The best part: they don't need any time to break in. I literally wore them the day I received them. I'll be alternating between these and my Nikes all summer long.
