Officially, the Perfect Summer Shoe
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I'm laissez-faire when it comes to what people do with their feet. Shoes off on the plane? Go for it. Sockless with loafers? As god intended. Toe shoes? Hell yeah man, why not. I am, however, particular about formality, respect for those around you.
Such as, if you go shoes off on the plane but have a seat mate, bring a slipper to cover up. If you have guests over, wear a slipper and have a pair to offer them if they want to take their shoes off. If you're eating or drinking al-fresco, by all means, let the piggies breath. But the second you're indoors, or at an establishment that gives more than two pieces of silverware, men's toes gotta be put away.
This is tough for me though because I love the beach, and I love going sockless. I was fine with cheap slippers at home and a beat up pair of Vans Classics for the beach, but I really wanted to find something better. Nothing ever looked or felt like I wanted until I found these Sabah Baba mules, the answer to both scenarios. These are the only do-everything summer shoe I've ever found, truly worth their weight in gold.
Almost nothing you buy comes in undyed leather. Even natural brown leathers typically have an aniline dye on them. These have nothing. If I'm being honest, that makes for a unremarkable look when you first buy them. We're just not used to seeing unfinished leather. But these are handmade in El Paso, Texas. (The Turkish made Sabahs are just as good, for what it's worth.) These are incredibly high quality shoes. I'd urge you to think of these the way you've been taught to think about unwashed denim. As you wear them, the natural patina these mules get is better than what any dye could give you. And they mold to your foot with every wear. The sun, your sweat, and natural folds help age them into a really stunning golden brown. After your first summer, they'll feel custom made for you, and they'll look decent. But every summer you bring them back out, they'll look better and better, more and more your own with each year.
Speaking of breaking them out in the summer, I actually don't do that. I love wearing these year-round and letting them moonlight as a house shoe. In fact, I originally came to Sabah tempted to get a pair of shearling-lined house shoes. For that, it's the best brand I've ever found. The second I get home, I'm in a pair of Sabahs. I absolutely love them. You know, Charvet slippers are the standard bearer for house shoes. I can't exactly say they're "better" because the house slipper formula isn't all that hard to get right. I can say that the materials Sabah uses and the designs it puts out are as good as anything you'll find for triple the price.
Speaking of design, if you're not interested in wearing these as proper summer shoes and keeping them confined to the house, you can go crazy with the design you buy. I've got leopard print cowhide (currently only available in women's). There's the shearling options. There's hair-on printed to look like a cow. There's a really beautiful woven pair . If they're staying in the house, I encourage you to get something freaky, have fun. That said, every pair I just mentioned could also substitute for these undyed leather slip-ons we photographed. Top to bottom, the Sabah lineup is perfect.
That said, I get the most joy when wearing these undyed Babas as proper summer shoes. Throw them on for a run to the corner store, a walk to the bar, or (in a perfect world) when you're pretending to call in sick to take a day trip to the beach. The undyed leather footbed will mold to your foot, and the shoe deal with any moisture sweat or sand you throw its way. That outer upper will last forever and get better with age, but there's a world where you wear them so much that the sole starts to wear out. When that happens, you can buy a new pair or give it a go with a trusted cobbler. The soles are McKay stitched on, so chances are your cobbler should be able to put new bottoms on these things.
All that makes these the ultimate solution to the Vans I used to rock until they fell apart. Better in every way, and if I ever walk holes in these, I can give them a second, third, maybe even fourth life. When you think about it that way, $235 is an absolute steal. You should buy a pair immediately.
Photographs by Florence Sullivan
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