Sezane Rosa Sandals Review

There’s always room in my closet for that well-thought out special something. A style which not only elevates your outfit, but also seamlessly blends in with the current contents of your wardrobe. I tend to keep a small running list of such items in the back of my mind, just on the off-chance that I’ll stumble across them. And I recently got lucky on my hunt for a low (or flat) metallic leather sandals. A style which felt like an absolute classic to me. Metallics work with most colour palettes, and they’re a simple way to add a bit of extra glamour to an outfit. In my opinion… anyway. The shoes in question that caught my eye? The Sezane Rosa Sandals.

Wearing Sezane striped top; Levis dungarees; Sezane Rosa Sandals

I’ve been asked quite a few questions about these shoes over on Instagram. So I thought it might be useful to pull together a quick review summarising my thoughts now that I’ve had a chance to properly put them to the test.

SEZANE ROSA SANDALS REVIEW

SIZING & FIT | I have to admit, I was initially a little confused by Sezane shoe sizing. The first pair I purchased (last year), I’d managed to get the sizing completely wrong, having assumed that the “base” sizing would be French given the origins of the brand. But in actual fact, it’s Italian/EU shoe sizing. The international website lists the options in US sizing, so for the Rosa Sandals, I went with a US9; my usual choice. For reference, I’m typically an EU40/UK7/AU9/FR41. And they’re the perfect fit. The sole isn’t too short, nor do my heels hang off the edge, and the adjustable strap at the heel means I can customise the fit to suit my foot perfectly.

My feet are also on the wider end of the spectrum, and these have been perfectly accomodating. The leather is neither stiff nor overly supple, and I think the open style of the straps near the toe is one of the reasons why this really works for me. Especially as I have a bunion on my left foot.

QUALITY | I’ve been asked a lot about how these wear and feel on the foot, and I have to say, overall I’ve been really impressed.

For something a little different, I decided to buy the Sezane Rosa Sandals in the “smooth gold”; a neutral gold-toned crackled metallic. Metallic sandals were a style piece I felt was missing from my closet, and that extra element of texture is one of the things I found uniquely interesting about these shoes. Ultimately, it’s what tipped me over the edge with this purchase. I also love the low block heel, which adds a nice amount of height without compromising on comfort. They’re a sandal that feels dressed up, but equally something you could wear to elevate a simple look (how I’ve been wearing them).

WEAR & TEAR | There was absolutely zero break-in period; and I’m able to walk more than 5km stretches without getting a single blister. The metallic leather has a really smooth quality to it, is reasonably thick, and there are no protruding stitches which might irritate the foot.

So far, they’ve been worn around five times; which still makes them reasonably new by my standards. I’ve already managed to scuff the toe due to my own clumsiness, and the “damage” is barely visible. The crackled leather is quite busy, which disguises the scuff easily. The only visible sign of wear on the shoes is at the toe bed; where you can see that the gold-toned metallic has faded under the pads of my feet.

The only niggle I have with these shoes – aside from sometimes feeling a little too dressed up in them – is the heel strap. Hopefully this is apparent from the photos; but the heel strap isn’t firmly affixed to the braided side straps of the sandal. It has a tendency to slip down when walking, needing constant readjustment. The upside is that even when acting as a “mule”, the sandals don’t slip off. So how much you wish to pull the strap back over your heel is up to you. As I do adore these shoes, I’m planning to take them to my local cobbler to have the heel strap affixed to the braided strap to avoid this issue during future wears. Just something to keep in mind if you’ve had your eye on the Sezane Rosa Sandals.

PRICE: $225 USD
COLOURS AVAILABLE: smooth gold (metallic crackled leather); blush (suede); and also available in a higher heeled version