Womens Pink Leather Sandals ~ SandCruisers ~ Traditional Arabian Sandals ~ Great for Outdoors, Beaches, Parks, Lakes, Pools & Parties!
How I became an designer and importer of the coolest sandals on the planet
Hey guys. I am an English as a Foreign Language instructor by training who has been living and working abroad for over 8 years. Over the years, I've worn and brought gifts home to my friends and family from all over the world, and though people were grateful for the gifts, no one was necessarily amazed by the things I was wearing or bringing for them. This changed when I left Asia for a job in Arabia and started wearing these sandals in 2015.
On my trips home, I noticed immediately that EVERYBODY wanted a pair. First it was my friends and family, then it was friends of friends and friends of family. The waitress at the restaurant. The guy at the farmer's market. People waiting in line at the movie theater. Then people started giving me money because their friends' friends' friends' wanted a pair! People were stopping me in public, and one woman even put her car in reverse across a parking lot to ask the question I've been asked so many times, "Where did you get your sandals?".
That's when I knew I needed to start importing professionally. Though I didn't come on Etsy until the end of 2017, I have been importing SandCruisers since 2015 and working markets, festivals, and music festivals.
After about a year or so I noticed there were a lot of things about these sandals that could be improved, so then I began the loooong journey of redesigning them. I redesigned the footbed to have a more symmetrical shape to one's foot, I changed the toe-ring and front strap patterns to have a tighter fit and more modern feel, and even redesigned the leather rings on the sides to have a more modern shape. I've also added several more layers of leather to the sole, so now they're about 1/4" thick! I've designed 100s of pairs since then, and probably the coolest thing I've done is create this men's traditional sandal for women!
Some times I walk the souqs looking for unique Arabian prints to design with, and sometimes I play around with embroidery thread and come up with new patterns and designs for the front straps. These sandals are traditional Arabian sandals and have been worn by the local people for centuries.
I first found them walking through the isles of spices, incense, and traditional clothing at the souq (Arabic for market). It's a genuine gift that I get the honor to bring something so special and unique home from the other side of the world to you. Happy stepping!
Hi ladies! And welcome back!
I am very excited about this new design, and I am very proud of this collection!
These are traditional Arabian prints and they can be found all over the Arabian Peninsula. Arab women have traditionally used these prints to make: pillows in their sitting lounges (living rooms), dresses, purses, blankets, scarves, quilts and curtains.
I've done some research into the history of this print in some Arabian history books and I think Arabia began importing this print from Japan over 75 years ago. It has become a staple for women in this part of the world. If you know more about the history, please share.
Anyways, I love these prints because they are floral, cute, bright, playful and really pop. Also, the soft texture of the printed cotton juxtaposes on the leather nicely and I hope you like them.
I found these prints walking through the souks of Manama, Bahrain. It is normal for Arab women to get their dresses tailor made at the dozens of tailor shops. These shops are typically staffed by men from India and some of them have AMAZING dressmaking and pattern skills. I remember one tailor welcoming me and inviting me go upstairs to his workroom and he had an employee doing machine embroidery work with gold thread on custom made dresses for a client. I was so impressed by the precision, craft, and skill of this man. I hope to go back one day and design a style where he embroiders on leather for my clients.
I personally run professional invisible fabric glue along all the edges and seams of this fabric, however it is still fabric and will eventually fray. If you see fraying beginning to happen, it's ok to put a dab of school glue or super glue on that spot. If you want a more timeless pair of SandCruisers, then visit the shop and take a 100% leather pair as those will last for years and years. This is a special collection
We suggest pairing SandCruisers with dresses, denim, shorts, and skirts. The natural construction and 100% leather uppers and soles work well with natural fabrics and textures (like cotton, denim and linen). Accessorize with Gold, Silver, Bronze, wood bangles, or glass art jewelry.
This color pairs well with Chocolate, Navy, Charcoal, Gray or lt. Gray, denim, White, Off-White, Camel, tan, Beige, Aqua, Blue, Light Blue and Gold metallic.
SandCruisers are the ultimate in summer footwear. This is one of my cushioned styles, so there is a thin layer of foam covered by leather on a solid leather stacked sole. As usual our sandals are 100% leather on the uppers and the sole. The sole is several thick layers of stacked leather stitched together to form a solid base. Once the leather softens you will feel like they were made for your feet. SandCruisers will mold completely to your foot shape and be more comfortable than any sandal you've ever owned. (Yes, I just said that!) Like all real leather footwear, you will find they are stiff at first and may cause irritation on the inside of your big and second toe, however keep wearing them for short windows of time until you break them in. They will soften up and fit you like a soft lambskin glove in about a month. Use coconut oil on the inside of the toe-ring and front strap to prevent irritation on your toes when they are new and before the leather softens. You will see SandCruisers are strong and the soles will not wear through even after years of daily use. I wore my first pair daily for over five years all over Europe, the Near East and Asia.
Please be careful only when they are brand new on marble tiles. Once you've worn them outside a few times and scratched up the bottom of the leather soles they will become tacky and porous and will have more grip on slick surfaces.
The traditional construction of these sandals is what makes them unique. The handmade process has been the same for hundreds of years. The leather is tightly held together by an intricate knotting technique that can only be done by skilled artisans.
We know you have 1000s of choices. So Thank you for choosing us!
Reach out for any questions!
SandCruisers are small production runs, and it takes months to get new stock as they are truly handmade. So if you want a pair, then buy them now. Otherwise, they'll probably be gone when you come back (Sorry about that!). If we are sold out, please favorite the SandCruisers shop so you will get Etsy notifications and be first to know when we list new styles and have inventory on all sizes.
Thank you for your order!
