There’s quite a difference between loafing around and enjoying a nice leisurely lifestyle, and our apparel would be the first to agree. In the 70s they wore leisure suits.  Women’s leisurewear is an entire market (think more silk caftans and sandals, and less Juicy sweats).  Resort collections targeted at affluent jet-setters (the epitome of leisure!), have been around well before high-end fashion houses like Chanel popularized them in 2006.  And in the 50s, just after the war in Spain’s Costa Blanca, a now classic design of recreational shoes appeared:  The Riviera Leisure Shoe. This shoe is a mix of sophistication and sport, a signal of relaxation and displays a sense of style for the wearer.  But you don’t have to vacation in the South of France or Spain to enjoy a little laid-back style of your own.

You can be just as leisurely in your backyard as you can be on a sailboat.  Because summer isn’t about where we are, but how we are.  In the summer we slow down.  We take long strolls along the beach.  We enjoy lemonade on porches at sunset.  We take vacations and nap in the sun.  And our footwear should reflect this.

Opening Ceremony is a great place to start.  These shoes have comfort and personality. They are the ultimate vacation shoe, signifying yachting and long lunches.  Slip on your Riviera and escape to the seaside for the day, or run off to Nantucket. Opening Ceremony Riveras Leisure Shoe $70.

 Opening Ceremony

Frye has a take of their own.  This perforated pair is a little more downtown cool and could easily transition from summer to fall, but they still capture the essential essence of the Riviera shoe. Frye Leather Perforated Slip-On Sneaker $98.

 Frye

This summer slip your foot into something a little different. After all, leisure has- ironically- showed no signs of slowing down its jet-setting ways.

-Arianna Schioldager