I feel I have kept tight lipped on this subject for over 20 years and after seeing roughly 12 pairs today in town on various tree hugging, beardy walking types and the odd loon, I feel like a rant!

NO NO NO NO NO, on any occasion is it right, maybe in the desert in a 40 degree heat where no one can see you but NOT in Britain.

I mean what do they go with, certainly not p1ss stained black tracky bottoms and certainly not grey socks or any socks as this defeats the object I would assume of keeping your toes aired.

If you know of any valid reason for this waste of leather and yes I know the fugly twunts of this world would recoil in horror if they stopped makin them but come on, please WHY

I'm thinking about investing in a pair for when I go to Ibiza next week. I agree that they should never be worn with socks or trackie bottoms,they should also not be worn in the north east where it is always cold either....

I am sat here wearing a pair of mid length shorts and a pair of sandals. I look damned sexy.

You waiting for the Tesco man to deliver your creame again!!!!

No, ribs far too sore for that sort of carry on!

utter shite. wear them all the time. most comfortable shoes i ever had were a pair of nike deschutz sandals that were moulded to my feet.

look uber-cool with jeans

airy, stink-free and what all the most clued-up over 40's are wearing this season

So which group do you fall into, tree hugger, beardy or loon

What are we talking here, proper jesus sandals walking around town with white socks or a pair of flip flops? Me personally i restrict my flip flops to my holidays but nowadays they are quite a common site around cosmopolitan Hartlepool.

Jesus boots not flip flops, or flip flips if you have 2 left feet!

all three. is that an issue

You may be able to get help on the nhs, just a local to remove them should suffice, you`ll be buying grey slip on next

so are you talking the standard flip flop here that you can purchase in burtons, river island, new look, top man etc?

I've got many a pair, casual, sporty, smart.

Nothing looks better with some summer shorts and a t-shirt / vest combo.

More fool you mate with your feet stuck in trainers whilst its boiling outside.

NO, have you ever seen a jesus film, them thick soled toe pokey out leather monstrosities with a strap around the back of your heel favoured by odd bods and usually adorned by socks half way up the shin

A flip flop is a flat sole with a bit that goes between your toes, these are acceptable and I have a pair!

This is a Jesus boot

Im with you on this one monkeybutt!!!!


BORK!!!!!

Cast off the sandal, see even the disciples say so, it must be true!

Just seen 2 of them mormons in my village, told you they are jesus boots

As worn by Millwall fans.....

I always thought they were restricted by law to Trotskyist, bearded, folk singing, Morris dancers drinking real ale or their greasy haired, dungaree bodied, dungaree wearing, cat smelling 'female partner'.....
Not that I have any preconceptions of course.....

Snowy your obviously an astute intelligent person and it`s good to see there are others who despise the Jesus welly

Don`t get me started on vests

Or maybe the Firkin sandal hoojamaflip, selling fell Walkers crisps, hand pulled for the beardies and check jacketed leather elbowed brigade, scampi fries for the fugly single men( coz they smell like a dirty fish mitten) and blue VK for the chavs

I could see this working, Mr Cameron give me a call to discuss excessive rents and beer tie

Used to be opposed to sandals, shorts except to play sport in and flip flops. Hot summers here mean I'm now a convert to the first two but still hate flip flops- stupid non-shoes that make you walk oddly. People here even wear them for football

Also upset at the French love of extremely pointy shoes, all shoes here are either strange health giving pasties or as pointy as a goth's pointiest shoes were in 1984. Fine if you're either a geography teacher or Nick Cave but anybody else looks stupid.

Nothing wrong with a lovely summer vest, my current facebook profile picture is my bad self in a lovely white vest, showing off a smashing tan.

Few tats, not chav ones though

Don`t you just love them 40+ fat birds that get em on their jugs, the question why rears it`s head

I saw a woman at the fens shops well into her sixties with a tattoo that looked like pub wallpaper newly applied all down her arms with tasteful card tattoos on each finger ... er, why ...?

All shoes in France are too small so I never get to enjoy the pleasure of their discomfort.
Stupidest thing ever heard in a shop (from an André sales young'un): "we don't have any 46s in; it's not the season."

Back on topic (re: socks with sandals). The socks are a fashion statement. People who wear sandals directly on bare feet are only trying to hide their own lack of hoseworthiness.
(Unless, like me, you deliberately wear them without socks as a statement that you have nothing to prove.)

The other problem with buying clothes in France (or Spain) is that the fashionable shops seem to think that chest sizes stop at 42.

Are you still planning to move to Nantes, Mr I?
I feel myself being drawn inexorably back to Mtp. I've spent most of the last three months here. (I'd better get away before Ryanair stop their flights for the winter tho'.)

It must be a hard choice Montpellier or Doncaster (or wherever it is in England you're currently residing)

I have a feeling Monty and Mr I are sandal fetish chums, do you go shopping together or online where you can send pics, perhaps that`s why Mr I has so many on hand to change my avatar?
You have been sussed

True, they have slim-fitting clothes for skinny little blokes that look like Mika in the fashionable shops or sweat inducing, stretchy acrylic stuff aimed at farmers with massive pot bellies full of duck and wine on the market. Not much around to suit the chunky but not quite fat Poolie who would like to avoid extreme BO.

Not the biggest hardship though is it? Get yourself here for the TFC Montpellier clash Monsieur Monty, Doncaster is only just better then Scunthorpe so being drawn back to France makes sense.

Why Nantes Mr I? I don't know it at all.

Monty entertain Toulouse tomoz - at rugby. That's going to be some match. No chance of a seat of course.

Oh and boss, what happened to my chewed on garlic at a reasonable level rank? Just when I find someone to share it with.

Indeed. We're getting a decent crop of onion salesmen together here.
Do we qualify for our own section once the Kentish one crosses the Channel?

ps - 4/4 for Toulouse going into the break. And Stade Toulousain leading the egg-chasers!

Only if he's South of a line from Bordeaux to Grenoble. We can laugh at him trying to understand the accent.

Delighted to be enjoying TéFéCé unbeaten at the top while the rugbymen slip up a bit. Could be the year that football gets some of the limelight round here....probably not though. Don't think I can get to the match against Saint-Etienne on Saturday which is annoying. They were the only French Subbuteo team I had thanks to there Dutch influenced team of 1970s long haired geniuses. There is still some residual glamour even though they are generally shyte nowadays

I bet the wearers of the rogue footwear are loving this balmy weather, one word of advice, please don`t wear sun screen and fry yourselves on both sides nicely you, you oil tankers you

Loving the wet weather, Jesus boot sales must be on there arse, not seen 1 sandal and sock combo this year

Big up global warming and set the sandal free

What wet weather Mr Butt? Temperatures are over 30 most days and the forecast is scorchio for the forseeable future. Got some very nice North Face sandals on at the moment but even they will provide a bit too much coverage by lunch time so I'll be slipping into something cooler as I tuck into a nice duck gizzard salad. My mate Philippe Phillop reckons you need to get some air to your toes.

I just paid 120 euros for a pair of sandals. Someone please confiscate my wallet.

You've clearly gone native Monsieur Monty! Mind it must be a sellers market for sandals round your way as July approaches. Anyway, after spending all that the least you can do is get some pics up- Mr Monkeybutt will love them.

I think you're confusing me with Spender.

You're just being shy, here's one of my €35 in the sales efforts....

What a beautiful view spoilt by that sandal, reminds me of gorgeous woman with great body and then a hairy entangled beaver to ruin the moment

Can I suggest barefoot, much more comfortable and retain some street cred

Well it`s been a while but today, in feckin December, a gadgie came in with a pair of pissin sandals on, complete with white socks

He had a lovely bowl of Parsnip soup and went on his merry way, train spotter

What does a frog wear on his feet?











Open toad sandals

It's not surprising you meet your pals from the loony bin when you decide to serve parsnip soup

On a serious note, how do you make that? I've always thought that parsnips have a strange aftertaste. I've considered adding chilli sauce to give it a bit of a kick, any suggestions?

This trend for digging up old threads has gone way too far but in the spirit of festive cooperation I'll admit that it is too cold for sandals just now- battered old boots with wooly socks are the footwear to be seen in this December.

Can I also add that I slipped into Mr Butt's establishment in my capacity as a secret diner and sampled his parsnip soup. Tasted great but made me fart like a baggy arsed horse for three days. Full blown duvet raisers. Don't say you weren't warned Mr Truth Hurts.