I remember seeing a post some time ago that discouraged someone from wearing open toed shoes in NYC because the streets are dirty. We are a couple of weeks away from our trip and I need to buy a couple pairs of shoes. I have not been to NYC in many years but I have seen every episode of Sex and the City and all of the women wear beautiful sandals and even upscale flip flops. I cannot imagine not wearing sandals in the summer. Can I wear my sandals in NYC?

Generally the streets in NYC are cleaner than I expected, sometimes around the sewage drains water will pool but otherwise, not bad. If you plan to walk alot, comfort has to take precedence over fashion because being on that concrete all day is brutal on the feet.

If you are going from hotel to restaurant or theater and back to hotel, then by all means, break out the sandals!

I just got back from a weekend in NYC, and I wore only sandals...flip-flops for sightseeing during the day, and open toed, dressier sandals for night. A lot of the women I saw did the same.

I think I've seen signs at the airports warning people not to wear sandals. And don't some restaurants refuse to serve people in flip-flops??

<g>

ok, enough with the no-sandals-in-NYC ! This is now a personal crusade of mine to correct the misinformation.

People in NY dress for the weather. That means that even if it's July, if it's 60 degrees, long pants and sweaters (and yes, closed shoes) work better for most people. If it's normal summer weather, I would guess that well more than 50% of NYC women wear some kind of sandals.

I know it's not a scientific survey, but after reading one of these posts here recently, I decided to look more carefully. On a recent subway ride on a weork day in Manhattan, I looked around and saw that virtually every woman from age 10-60 wore open-toed shoes, most with neat polished toenails. Most of the men, BTW, were wearing something like old sneakers (not shiny new white ones) or casual shoes.
The only people I saw with closed shoes were obvious tourists with sneakers (which is fine, if you're more comfortable that way...), some elderly women, and some dressed very conservatively for work).
As far as flip flops, they do seem to be everywhere (though personally I don't get it) Most of the teens and twenty-somethings I see wear them all day on the weekend and even on weekdays if they can get away with it.

so, IMHO,--wear what you like, but you will certainly NOT stand out in sandals...

Thanks for your replies. I will buy some comfortable sandals which I prefer to wear in summer weather.

Just remember that open shoes are not the best to be wearing when it's raining.

And, you must keep your toes out from under others' feet on crowded streets and subway trains.

Don't forget Murphy's Law: The most comfortable sandals in the store will still rub blisters on your feet, if you don't break them in first (or something like that).

I'm proud to say that a sneaker didn't touch my foot during our trip to New York. I have two great pairs of open toed sandals that I walked miles in during the day, then switched to dressier sandals at night. Wonder of wonders, even had a chic looking New Yorker (you can tell and that's a compliment to you NYC'ers--your chic-ness must be in the water stop me on the street one day and compliment my Nebraska purchased sandals.

If it's hot I always wear sandals no matter where I am.
Having said that, I can tell you that after 6 hours of walking around in NYC my feet are disgusting... and are beyond the simple washcloth scrubbing. Last time I went to NY, I got a disposable foot sanding paddle (not sure what they are called) and "sanded" the crud totally off when I bathed at night.
I know, it's gross... but not as gross as having stained, yukky feet.

Time to dispel two myths:
1. Women do indeed wear sandals, flipflops and other variations of open-toed shoes everywhere in NY, just as they do every place else.
2. New Yorkers wear sneakers--yes, even white ones--in their leisure. In fact, some even wear them to work!

Oh good - at least this question is remotely sensible. I was afraid it was going to be about toe cleavage in church.

Yes - New Yorkers wear sandals all the time in the hot weather - just make sure you have a great pedicure - fire engine red seems popular now. Just make sure they're very comfy for walking - and do watch your toes on the bus and subway.