Got mandals? Head to Mario's for stylish summer footwear for men

In 1985, my brother and infamous popular stud Stephen graduated from high school and came home from '80s clothing retailer Chess King with his summer trousseau: all the pastel, rolled-up-sleeve, Miami Vice sport jackets, tanks and white pants he would need to cruise chicks on the Jersey shore.

He had one pair of shoes for all of these pimp summer outfits -- a pair of white leather "flats" with a basket weave pattern on top.

I, more conservative, not as popular and a bit nerdy, curiously examined his purchases. "Aren't these girls' shoes?" I asked. He, being the hyper-masculine macho big brother, responded with, "Shut the **** up!" -- which was pretty much the way you could answer any question in New Jersey in 1985.

Twenty-some years later I still find the prospect of shopping for men's summer dress shoes frightening. If you're a guy looking for summer shoes and the idea of "mandals" -- Birkenstock's uptown cousins -- gives you the willies, you are not alone.

That's why I recently decided to ask Mario's men's footwear specialist, John Lee, about appropriate choices for men who want casual but dressy summer footwear. Luckily, Mario's has several dress sandals on sale, and John was happy to show me his favorites while offering some good solid tips. For example, any summer-weight trousers, such as linen, silk, khaki and crisp cotton, are all great choices to team with mandals.

"For outdoor events, cocktail parties, mandals are perfect," Lee says. "Recently, a guy was looking for a summer suit to wear to a beach wedding, and when it came to shoes, he kept saying loafers. When I pulled out a great pair of dress sandals his wife screamed, 'Those are mandals!' But once I put the outfit together, they could see it was the right look."

Currently at Mario's, you'll find a handsome pair of hand-sewn black leather T-straps from Prada, on sale for $245. A refined yet somewhat Romanesque look from Dolce & Gabanna features detailed topstitching and imperially rugged rivets, on sale for $159. And John Varvatos has a thong sandal with strapping straps cut from rich, good-looking chocolate brown leather, on sale for $169.

One particularly essential rule to remember if you're going to wear open-toed anything, is grooming. "I never bring up a pedicure," says Lee. "Guys look down at their feet in these shoes and notice it themselves."

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