A New York Girl: Summer Trend: Barely-There Sandals

There are women like me who take pride in regular pedicures with the occasional paraffin treatment, even in the dead of winter. It don't matter if you wear Sperrys all fall or knee-high leather boots all winter - the moment that the shoes come off can either be a delightfully fresh experience, or a crusty, unpolished nightmare.

Admittedly, I enjoy doing my own pedicures: exfoliating with the PedEgg, followed by sugar scrub, then trimming, filing and repainting the nails followed by a nice slathering of B&BW Body Cream. I enjoy keeping my feet pretty, and for those of you in my camp, our season is upon us. From my extensive shoe research, I have found that thin-strapped, top-of-the-foot-bearing, light-as-a-feather flat sandals are going to be big this summer. Bigger than last summer's gladiator, which IMHO looked manly and felt too enclosed, these sandals are the foot equivalent of a Brazilian string bikini, but more realistic for all of us, and like the string bikini, give us the feeling (at least in our feet) of being naked.

Before jumping in, I would like to be clear about a couple of things:
1. Pedicure. At-home or salon is your choice, but your feet must be de-calloused, moisturized and have a great shade of polish on the nails. More on this later.
2. These sandals are generally not OK for work. Unless you work in the Aldo store, or perhaps in a magazine office or another casual, fashion-friendly environment, leave these sandals for nights and weekends. When in doubt, get a less-revealing pair, and wear them with trousers so you don't have too much foot-top showing.
3. The newest slim sandals are all flat. While heels in this style look incredibly sexy, leave this look for weekend nights exclusively, especially if you pair them with a dress.

And now... the shoes!