Cool or Not Cool: Saltwater Sandals on Adults

When Suri Cruise and Matilda Ledger began rocking Saltwater sandals, you know these colorful kicks made it to the next level of trendy. Brooklyn, happy to dress our children better than we dress ourselves, welcomed these brilliantly basic sandals with open arms. But Alexa Chung threw us all for a loop when she made the SW sandals a stable in her oh so very cool wardrobe. 

But should these prepubescent shoes be worn by postpubescent people? Truth be told, these sandals can be a great summer wardrobe staple if done correctly. Here are three guidelines to follow when trying to figure out how to wear the colorful children's footwear without looking like a child yourself: 

1. Do not, I repeat, do not match your child. If your kids are wearing saltwaters, leave yours at home. Matching mothers and children borders on creepy. Other neighborhoods already think we're weird enough for breastfeeding until college. Let's not add to our boundaries-less partnering reputation. 

2. Do not wear them out. Unless you are Alexa Chung and are being paid for how stylish you are, keep these sandals indoors after dark. A good rule of thumb: if you're wearing an outfit that requires additional eyeliner, pass on pairing it with shoes that were originally designed for kids. 

3. This should go without saying, but don't wear them with socks. Unless you're really, really cool. This isn't Williamsburg.