Men's Elevator Sandals: 4 Models Compared | How to Choose Between 8cm, 7cm and 5.5cm of Height

“The moment summer turns into sandal season, the height I worked so hard for disappears.” The more often you wear elevator shoes, the more pressing this concern becomes.

To get straight to the point: LEVANO has 4 elevator sandals, and if you are undecided, the 7cm up Gurkha Sandals no36 (¥12,980, tax included) are the benchmark. They are the only one of the 4 rated ◎ for dates, everyday wear and all-day city walking alike, and they are also the most affordable. For 8cm in genuine leather, choose no15 or no16; for a more modest 5.5cm in Japan-made cowhide leather, choose no30. In this article we compare the 4 models by height, material, sizes, weight, price and occasion, then cover how to keep sandals discreet, how to keep your feet cool in summer, and how to choose your size.

Elevator sandals make you look taller through an insole structure built into the inside of the shoe. Because the height comes from inside, they avoid the bulky look of platform sandals. A platform sandal that gains height by thickening the entire sole gives itself away the moment someone sees it from the side, whereas elevator sandals wrap the foot with the upper and straps so the internal step stays hidden. The insole structure is a fixed, built-in design that cannot be removed.

If you are worried that sandals are easier to spot because your feet are visible, most of the causes explained in Do Elevator Shoes Look Obvious? 5 Causes and How to Choose a Discreet Pair | Picks by Occasion can be prevented in sandals with the same countermeasures. We add the sandal-specific tips later in this article.

LEVANO's sandals are the 4 models gathered in the Elevator Sandals collection, with three heights, 8cm, 7cm and 5.5cm, and materials of genuine leather (no15 and no16), Japan-made cowhide leather (no30) and microfiber leather (no36).

Weight and country of origin are listed only where the product page states them.

The table comes down to 3 points. There are three heights, 8cm (no15 and no16), 7cm (no36) and 5.5cm (no30), so deciding how much height you want narrows the field. For sizes, no30 runs 23.5 to 26.5cm and is not available in 27.0cm or above, so if you are over 27.5cm, no16 and no36, which go up to 28.0cm, are your options. And no36 is the only model rated ◎ for dates, everyday wear and all-day city walking alike.

Here is a model-by-model look at the design and who each one suits.

Because sandals show your feet, it is easy to assume that more exposed skin means an easier giveaway. But what people see is the foot above the instep, not the internal step your foot rests on. Get the following 4 points right and they will not look like platform sandals, even from the side.

Sandals let air through more easily than shoes that enclose the whole foot, making them the coolest option for a summer height boost. The slits on the upper of no15, the side cut-outs on no30 and the gaps in the weave on no36 all serve as air channels, while on no16 you can adjust how closely the upper hugs your foot with the laces.

That said, as long as your foot rests on an insole structure, the heat from the sole of your foot stays trapped inside the shoe. On days you wear them barefoot, simply wiping the insole surface with a dry cloth when you get home and leaving them to dry overnight in a well-ventilated spot goes a long way toward preventing odor. For details, see Sweat and Odour in Elevator Shoes: Fixes and How to Choose a Cooler Model.

As for each material, the genuine leather no15 and no16 and the cowhide leather no30 are sensitive to water, so if they get wet, blot the moisture with a dry cloth and dry them in the shade, away from direct sunlight. For the microfiber leather no36, the basic care is to wipe off dirt with a firmly wrung-out cloth.

As a rule, go with the same size as your usual sneakers; if you have wide feet or a high instep, one size up is more comfortable. The reasoning is the same as in Elevator Shoe Sizing: Why Your Usual Sneaker Size Is the Right Choice, but for sandals, check the following 2 points as well.

If you have smaller feet, choose no30 (from 23.5cm); if you are over 27.5cm, choose no16 or no36 (up to 28.0cm). If the size does not fit, you can exchange it once within 7 days of delivery (return shipping is paid by the customer; we cover the shipping of the replacement pair). If you would rather check the real thing before buying, TryBee on the product page lets you try them on for 7 days for ¥0 and pay only after you decide to keep them.

All 4 models are × for business, formal occasions, golf, the Coming-of-Age Ceremony and job hunting. Skip sandals for the summer office, business dinners and ceremonies, and switch to a dress-shoe style instead. With the 5.0cm UP Cowhide Leather Casual Shoes no29, Japan-made cowhide leather rated ◎ for business and ○ for formal occasions, you can wear no30 for everyday summer use and no29 for work and ceremonies, keeping the same Japan-made cowhide leather feel across both.

If you are not a fan of the bare-foot feel, you also have the option of sticking with sneakers through summer. The 7.0cm UP Monotone Line Sneakers no37 are rated ◎ for dates, ◎ for everyday wear and ◎ for all-day city walking, their white-based colorway pairs easily with shorts and light-colored pants, and they give you the same 7cm as no36 in a summer sneaker.