At Melissinos

It seems that Lindsay K of Un Petit Bijou was rather prophetic in writing about sandals just two days before I got my two pairs from the famous Melissinos in Athens, Greece, last Saturday. It was very easy to get to from where I live –– the walk only took something like twenty or so minutes down Ermou from Syntagma.

I've always wanted a pair of sandals, but could never find a good fit due to my narrow feet with high arch. After coming across the Poet Sandal-maker again and again on every guidebook on Athens I read in preparation for my time in Athens, I felt like I really had to get them, if not at least check the shop out. It seems that I have struck gold as it only cost me 28€ per pair and I could choose from so many different styles. I've decided against customising my two pairs, since I wanted something basic and simple that I could wear many years down the road (hopefully). Eventually after long time deliberating with friends that I picked a pair in Socrates and another in Olympia. I've convinced my friends to get two pairs too (at such great quality at a great price); they got Hermes and Cleopatra, and Jeremy Irons and Aeolian 2 respectively.

We ended up spending at least two to three hours there, as we took our leisurely time picking out different styles, talking about The Bacchus, a play that Melissinos' wrote, with many fittings in between. My friend hilariously connected with the Algerian assistant to the maestro, in that her step-father was also Algerian. Mine are superbly comfortable and already they have started to mould to my feet only a few days after wearing them constantly, day in and out.

I currently don't have a picture of either of my sandals to show, since one of them I'm still trying to tan with olive oil (and is currently drying on the balcony), and the other I have to clean the salt stains from after wearing them to the beach yesterday. The shoes themselves remind me of raw denim in a way, in that they age accordingly to the habits of the wearing and each will therefore, end up rather unique. I'll be happy to update them a few weeks from now, and they will definitely appear in any outfit post in the weeks to come.

– Getting my pair fitted, legs still scratched from the Samaria Gorge hike – 

– My friend's newly fitted pair of "Cleopatra"-s –