ATHENS
Leather sandals with ancient Greek designs are a must-have souvenir, when you find yourselves in Greece. With their simple and minimal appearance they make an ideal choice for any time of the day and any fashion style you may be into! Some have little metallic details, others have lace and studs lending you a rock or glamorous appearance. Whether you are visiting an island or on a city break these sandals will become your very best friend!
In art, the most famous sandal is seen on the Marble group sculpture of Aphrodite and Pan. The goddess Aphrodite holds her sandal threateningly in her hand attempting to turn the love bitten goat-footed god Pan away from her (100 B.C. National Archeological Museum). The "Nike Sandalizousa" relief from the Temple of Athena Nike (or Apterou Nikes: meaning wingless victory in Greek), which is featured at the Acropolis Museum, shows Nike rearranging her sandal. Last but not least, on the western part of the Parthenon Frieze, Pheidias commences his description with a young man lacing up his sandal.
During the last decades lots of famous people have chosen to wear Greek sandals starting a new hot summer trend. The Beatles, Jackie Kennedy, Barbra Streisand, Rudolf Nureyev, Anthony Quinn, Gary Cooper, Sophia Loren, are just some of the members of the jet set that made the Greek leather sandals famous.
This area is where you’ll definitely find quality sandals in lots of colours, wonderful designs inspired by an ancient Greek style that will make you want to purchase more than one pair. Made according to modern life needs, the sandals will offer a comfortable walk while making a fashion statement that will accompany you any time of the day. Several workshops still exist that will create your personalized order of ancient-greek-style sandals and are situated on Andrianou, Normanou and Theklas streets at Psyrri.
Among all the sandal stores and workshops that you’ll encounter in the centre of Athens find the sandals that fit you and enjoy your summer strolls!
Leather sandals made in Greece
A Summer Trend Alert
Comfortable sandals that will accompany your walks are key piece to your summer wardrobe!Leather sandals with ancient Greek designs are a must-have souvenir, when you find yourselves in Greece. With their simple and minimal appearance they make an ideal choice for any time of the day and any fashion style you may be into! Some have little metallic details, others have lace and studs lending you a rock or glamorous appearance. Whether you are visiting an island or on a city break these sandals will become your very best friend!
Fashion history
Sandals over time have been the most popular type of footwear worldwide. Either we go back to ancient Greek history or mythology sandals were present. God Hermes as a messenger wore feathered sandals, to execute the orders of Zeus over land and sea. Other popular sandals were those of Aegeus, who decided to hide them with a sword under a rock. He planned on using these items as a sign to recognize his son Theseus, who would uncover them when he reached adulthood and returned to Athens.In art, the most famous sandal is seen on the Marble group sculpture of Aphrodite and Pan. The goddess Aphrodite holds her sandal threateningly in her hand attempting to turn the love bitten goat-footed god Pan away from her (100 B.C. National Archeological Museum). The "Nike Sandalizousa" relief from the Temple of Athena Nike (or Apterou Nikes: meaning wingless victory in Greek), which is featured at the Acropolis Museum, shows Nike rearranging her sandal. Last but not least, on the western part of the Parthenon Frieze, Pheidias commences his description with a young man lacing up his sandal.
During the last decades lots of famous people have chosen to wear Greek sandals starting a new hot summer trend. The Beatles, Jackie Kennedy, Barbra Streisand, Rudolf Nureyev, Anthony Quinn, Gary Cooper, Sophia Loren, are just some of the members of the jet set that made the Greek leather sandals famous.
The paradise of sandals
The best place to find these trendy sandals is in Monastiraki, a district situated in the historical part of Athens, famous for its flea market and known as the shoemakers’ area during the 20's. Facing the Acropolis Rock, on a narrow pedestrian street called Pandrossou, connecting Mitropoleos square with Monastiraki, you can discover a large number of shops preserving their tradition in sandal making as well as in other leather articles.This area is where you’ll definitely find quality sandals in lots of colours, wonderful designs inspired by an ancient Greek style that will make you want to purchase more than one pair. Made according to modern life needs, the sandals will offer a comfortable walk while making a fashion statement that will accompany you any time of the day. Several workshops still exist that will create your personalized order of ancient-greek-style sandals and are situated on Andrianou, Normanou and Theklas streets at Psyrri.
Among all the sandal stores and workshops that you’ll encounter in the centre of Athens find the sandals that fit you and enjoy your summer strolls!
