Manolo Blahnik Chaos Sandal review: worth it or skip?

What the Manolo Blahnik Chaos Sandal does well

The headline: low-heel cross-strap sandal. The details: Material: Leather; Sole: Leather; Fit: True to size; Made in: Italy. In our list it is the pick for: kitten heel. It usually sells for $795–$895 in the US.

Ideal for summer evenings.

The trade-offs

Good: comfortable, elegant. Not so good: pricey. Read the skip-if line before you spend: skip it if you want flat.

What to buy instead

Instead, consider the The Row Ginza Sandal ($790–$950): minimal flat sandal. Better if you want minimal.

Instead, consider the Hermès Oran Sandal ($760–$860): h-cutout leather slide. Better if you want the most iconic summer slide.

Instead, consider the Hermès Chypre Sandal ($850–$1,000): velcro sport sandal. Better if you want comfort Hermès.

Before you buy

Straps: thin straps can cut in on hot days; wider straps and lined footbeds are kinder. Footbed: a molded or padded footbed makes all-day wear possible; flat leather footbeds tire feet quickly. Heel: block heels and wedges are far easier on vacation cobbles than stilettos.

Buyer tip

Sandals are cheapest in the late-summer sales of July and August; iconic slides such as the Hermès Oran rarely discount at all.

Buying in Europe: Italian and French sizes are used on most designer shoes, and they differ from US sizes by brand. Check the house’s own size chart, and remember that many Italian brands run about half a size small.

Luxury prices move in a different rhythm from everyday shopping. The great houses (Chanel, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Rolex) raise prices once or twice a year, often in January and in spring, and almost never discount their icons. Seasonal pieces, colors and many shoes, coats and knitwear drop 30–50% in the end-of-season sales in January and from late June. Watches from brands such as Omega, TAG Heuer, Longines and Breitling, and most fragrance, see the best prices around Prime Day and Black Friday. Judge any deal against the usual price we show.

Buy from the fashion house, an authorized retailer or a reseller that authenticates and guarantees every piece, and keep the receipt, the dust bag, the box and any warranty card: they matter for repairs and for resale. Swiss watches carry a 2- to 5-year international warranty when bought from an authorized dealer, and buyers in the EU and UK also have a legal guarantee of at least two years on new goods.