A Love Letter To Sandals

Sandals, jandals, thongs, even flip-flops – no matter what you call those breezy things strapped to your feet we love them! Pat probably loves them more then most people, so much so that he decided to write them a love letter.

I love my sandals. I don’t know why I love them and I’ve never articulated my love for them, but there comes a time in any relationship that you’ve just got to pony up and say it. So here goes…

Dear Tevas,

I love you.

You’ve been there at so many points in my life. I remember when I first met you, I was only five years old. Since then we’ve been through some highs and lows.

A high was spending three months at the age of eight travelling Australia with the family, having you protect my soft little soles every day. A low was definitely when I threw a single sandal out of the car window at age nine in a fit of rage and Mum told me I wasn’t allowed more sandals.

Puberty was rough. I forgot about you, I thought you didn’t matter to me anymore. I remember a time I saw my Outdoor Ed teacher in a relationship with a tattered, yet beautiful pair of Tevas. They had been going strong for seven years.

On the outside, I laughed with my friends about it, I told him they looked stupid. But that was only because I was so insecure about the lack of comfort in my own relationship with a torn pair of joggers. I’m sorry for taking it out on you, I was trying to fit in and jealousy prevailed.

Things picked up from there though. In fact, it was once high school finished that our relationship truly blossomed. Mum upgraded to a new pair and her old set got passed on to me. We were free from the shackles of school and had time to explore the world together. We started going on more trips and spending more time in the outdoors together.

Remember that time in Tasmania? My boots broke just after getting off the plane and so you were promoted to primary shoes for the trip. We spent the whole 3 weeks together, even doing the entire 3 day Freycinet Peninsula Circuit together, step by step. No sweaty leather boots for me, just easy-breezy sandal lovin’.

I’m sick of my relationships with others going sour. I know I left you for a so-called trendy pair of thongs a few years back. That relationship didn’t last long, they ended things with me after the going got a little tough on the trails. They didn’t know me like you know me.

Read more: Maybe Socks Aren’t Such A Bad Present After All

Yes, sometimes when you’re wet you get a little slippery, but all I have to do is tighten that Velcro and you’re good to go. You don’t skip a beat when going from the dusty trails to slippery rocks.

You’ve always supported me, whether we’re hiking, camping, road-tripping, or just cruising the city streets to our favourite café. You outlast every other pair of shoes I’ve owned and I’m proud to profess my love for you.

You take me places I’ve never been before. We climb together, stride together, watch that sunset together, splash in that puddle together, walk through thick and thin together, I think we’re… I think we’re meant for each other.

Tevas, I love you.

Sincerely,

My feet

P.S. Hey, you! Yes, you explorers out there. Maybe you’ve had a pair that’ve been beaten down or have taken you to the end of the earth. Or maybe you’ve never been brave enough to venture away from the iconic thong.

Maybe you’ve been toying with the idea but haven’t mustered up the courage to get out and make the switch. No matter what stage of ‘Teva Love’ you’re at, now is the time to take it to the next level. And with winter just about to settle in, it’s prime time for the socks and sandals to make a comeback #DoItForDad.

So toss off the boots, au revoir to your thongs, ciao to bare feet, smack on some sandals and hit the track. Or river. Or mountains. Tevas will do it all.

This post wasn’t sponsored or paid for in any way – Pat just really loves his Tevas.

Photography by @_lachiet