Radical News
Read articles, watch videos, learn more about our products past and present.
Yes! Journal
The Radical Yes Guide To Summer Sandals
The Flat Pack Active, Sharp & Everything in Between aka The Hybrid. If you’re like us, it’s time to put the cooler days behind you and embrace the arrival of warmer weather. As for which footwear rises to this occasion? The summer forecast calls for sandals. They quite literally can take you from the beach to the office with a cheeky stop-off on the dancefloor. All the while looking pretty damn fine. For SS22, we’re celebrating creativity and movement in true Radical Yes style. That means keeping things active and sharp. When we talk about active, these are durable sandals you gravitate towards because of their casual, laidback appeal that feels just as good as it looks. Think ‘on your feet at work all day’ followed by a cross-town commute. A supportive partner to dress down your tailoring. Sharp shoes are those toe-tappers that look polished and refined but provide just the right amount of cushioning and support. They allude to that dressed up feeling even when the rest of your outfit isn’t. And yes, you guessed it - with a hybrid you can have both at once. Not too active, not too sharp, but a healthy balance that can’t be labelled (no heeled trainers allowed). Of course, all three styles can be worn equally well with smart getups or chilled out track pants (because #covid), but each has a purpose to serve you better in real life. Now, let us introduce you to three stellar styles for summer that capture each mood. Active-Wear - The Space Jam sandals. More active, less sharp. For don’t care days. For getting it done days. This is a summer sandal alternative to your trusty sneakers. Our focus for the season has been lightness and ease of wear, creating commuter friendly sandals that women love to wear every other day. On that note, enter Space Jam. This athletic-inspired hiking sandal is designed for walking and cross-city commuting with serious style points. Inspired by movement, the 2-piece outsole is layered for comfort and durability, while ripple detailing provides grip for navigating a rainy day. The insole features a moulded footbed with arch support to help relieve pressure and add bouncy spring to the heel strike. Plus, it’s swathed in sweat-resistant microsuede for breathability. That’s not all. Three easy-to-adjust velcro straps give lots of wiggle room so they fit like a glove - exactly why they’re loved by all foot shapes, from wide to narrow, low and high arches. As for durability, each strap is finished with leather tabs and hiking-inspired accents. These chunky sandals are calling out to be worn on weekends and getaways. The thicker silhouette works with all hemlines from midi dresses to mini skirts and even short shorts. Play up to the active mood by pairing with printed tees tucked into denim minis or kick-flare jeans. A camp collar shirt and culottes with a silk sock will strike just the right balance of hiker meets city slicker. But we also love to use them to dress down a silk slip dress. The tangerine and aquatic colours evoke the playfulness, creativity and fluidity of the season which we’re also reminded of by the 'Daisy Dreams Forever' sentiment on the strap - your cue to stay forever young. Shop the range of Radical Yes Sandals. So Sharp - The Solstice Sandals. More sharp, less active. Solstice is the love child of our Olympia loafer and Arkestra sandal, giving it all the traits of a sharp and radical sandal. They’re shaped to a fisherman silhouette with a plenitude of straps à la rib cage style. This may be our summer guide, but the caged lattice-work offers the perfect amount of coverage for these sandals to be worn pretty much year-round. It covers the majority of the foot, making them seem more like a shoe even though they’re de facto sandals. Potentially the best part? If you’ve no time for a pedi, no worries, there’s a closed toe so we’ve pretty much thought of everything. Looks aside, bike riders especially love these long-lasting sandals because of their sole. The rubber LUG outsole is made using our bespoke mould, with indents for traction that can endure heavy abrasion wear (like pushing off on the bike). It bounces like a sneaker, making them fit for the pavement, dance floor or beach - all occasions, remember? The adjustable buckles work wonders for both wide and narrow feet and because the sandals are easy to slip into, you can happily weather a pair of socks (a look we love). Socks and sandals, sandals and socks - so wrong, it’s right. But you don’t have to wait for the first chill to hit your toes, merino wool socks are temperature regulating to keep you cool when it’s hot but warm when it’s cold. Alongside the soft and anti-sweat sheepskin lining of Solstice, there’s no convincing required: these are the summer sandals that aren’t simply for summer. And since you loved our ‘Ice Blue’ hue so much (AW22 vibes), it continues for spring/summer as the perfect way to wear serious clothes - think androngynous suits or feminine dresses - without them feeling too serious. Of course, classic black is also being served up. See all the sandals here. Hybrid Hottie - The Sophia sandal. Active meets sharp. The Sophia sandals are considered both active and sharp in equal measure. That means flexible and comfortable for all-day wear yet sharp enough for dress ups. These Roman-inspired sandals really flatter the foot. They have straps in all the right places with hidden elastic to suit any foot shape. Even the narrowest of feet can feel secure thanks to the buckle strap that protects fragile ankles from the pressures of urban life. These strappy numbers speak to our iconic Declaration T-Bar sandal. They’re moulded to the same design but raised slightly higher from the heel to the ball of the foot for a soft, cushioned landing. The sturdy ripple sole adds grip while feeling soft enough to pound the pavement with ease, taking you everywhere, from city walks to summer adventures. And that silhouette? Flat shoe liberation means we’re seeing these quietly elevated sandals as an actively sharp alternative to your heels this summer. “Wear them to parties, galleries and anywhere in between for an ‘OMG, THEY ARE SO COMFORTABLE’ gasp, every time.” They pair beautifully with feminine floaty dresses or man-style dressing aka blazers, crisp button-ups and black pants. View the Sophia black sandal here. See all the sandals here. See all the sandals here. More related products solstice-fisherman-sandaliceblue, sophia-strapy-sandal-in-black, space-jam-leather-hiking-sandal-tangerine, solstice-fisherman-sandal-black-leather,space-jam-leather-hiking-sandal-aquatic, declaration-2-0-t-bar-wedge-sandal-in-tangerine-nylon-vegan, declaration-2-0-t-bar-wedge-sandal-in-olive-nylon-vegan, radical-yes-declaration-t-bar-wedge-2-0-black-leather, double-happiness-2-0-black, double-happiness-2-0-chocolate, arkestra-2-0-fisherman-sandal-in-silver-tumbled-leather, arkestra-fisherman-sandal-black
Learn more
Daisy Dreams Forever: The High Summer Collection
In breaking down the very essence of ‘What’s so radical about Radical Yes?’ we arrive at three fundamental things. 1. The first is our commitment to flat shoes. Highly wearable shoes. Well fitted shoes. Practical, but beautiful shoes. ‘Classic’ silhouette shoes. Shoes that say ‘I’m chic, but I need to get things done’. Our vision is to create go-to shoes you will wear on the (‘every-second-day’) daily. This is the space we design to – where the dreamy aesthetic elements are tamed by a boundary of practicality and usefulness. Our new Solstice chunky soled sandal. Photo by Ben Sullivan. 2. The second is our commitment to small batch quantity manufacturing. We like to make things in small quantities so that they feel unique, limited and special - because we like our customers to also feel unique and special in our products - like they are part of a secret ‘radical’ club. It’s a conversation we have a lot in store. We love owning the sales experience of every single shoe we make so we can transfer that end-use customer feedback straight into our design process. Choosing not to wholesale keeps us close to you. Making in small quantities gives us time to learn and grow with you. 3. The third is our commitment to the sophisticated use of colour. Accessories – especially footwear - are the best shortcut to statement making dressing with less of the commitment and short-term view of seasonal garments. Our high summer ‘Daisy Dreams Forever’ collection is the embodiment of each of these ideas. Classic flat shoe silhouettes – think Mary Janes made easy with Velcro fasteners and re-imagined ‘practical-party’ inspired Fisherman sandals – are dreamed up in dopamine inducing moments of lavender and ice blue. Athletic weekend sandals are elevated in full leather executions in our new Space Jam silhouette, to take you through summer work weeks with suits and toes-out sharper dressing. See the complete new Summer 22 collection here. The super lightweight Yes Mesh Trainer in Tangerine. Photo by Ben Sullivan. "We like our customers to feel unique and special in our products - like they are part of a secret ‘radical’ club.” This new drop also see’s a return to our recycled leather bag silhouettes, designed with the double-bag day situations in mind. We wanted to give you options for ‘sharper’ end use feelings in styles that we know will become your everyday best friends. "This is the space we design to – where the dreamy aesthetic elements are tamed by a boundary of practicality and usefulness." “We love owning the sales experience of every single shoe we make so we can transfer that end-use customer feedback straight into our design process.” Radical Yes in Conversation with Elfy Scott. We invited our Summer brand ambassador, author, journalist and podcaster, Elfy Scott to help us answer some of the questions we get asked most frequently about our brand. In this episode we discuss what the 'Radical' in Radical Yes means to us. Watch the video below. See the complete new Summer 22 collection here. More products from the Summer Collection solstice-fisherman-sandal-black-leather, yes-mesh-trainer-in-cream, solstice-fisherman-sandaliceblue, north-star-clutch-ice-blue-eco-pu, double-happiness-2-0-chocolate, grace-the-future-mary-jane-in-black, yes-mesh-trainer-in-tangerine, grace-the-future-mary-jane-in-lavender-with-tangerine-trim, space-jam-leather-hiking-sandal-tangerine, radiance-camera-bag-in-black
Learn more
Intentional Clashing: The Summer Edition Look Book
Intentional Clashing. The High Summer Edition. (Not really a story but a selection of ideas and thoughts we were writing about in the making of these new shoes). Sometimes we think of our collections like Jazz. Cool modern UK inspired Jazz. Unpredictable and in all directions but always cool. Go-to shoes you want to wear every-other-day cool. Sometimes we think of our accessories as communication tools. They are always saying something about where we want to be in the world. About how we identify with life. Our garments are a shortcut to what we really want to say. To individualise. To be creative and expressive. But always, to be practical and useful. Photos by Ben Sullivan, Styling Imogen Wilson, Make Up Corinna Wilmhurst, Talent Astrid at Priscilla's. Lets talk about THE FLEX >> We are deeply into the idea of the hybrid-shoe. Something to wear everywhere but still feel sharp. The Flex was conceived like this. Errand shoes. Visiting friends’ shoes. Park walk shoes. Chasing after children shoes. Dog walking, market hopping, post office visiting, que standing. A shoe designed for easy slip-on sunny days. For optimism and energy. Conceived as an alternative to trainers. For those times you need closed toe summer situations. We made them in the colour of the earth and the colour of the sky in celebration of the summer - our favourite time of year. Our new Flex neoprene slip on in Bronze. Our Flex Neoprene Slip On Bronze, best friends with our Rainbow Tote. Why did we make these shoes? Shoes for IRL situation. 3km a day on your feet shoes. The midsole has been stitched using what is known as a ‘strobel’ technique which means a stitch is applied around the entire sole edge. This not only adds extra flex and comfort to the shoe, but also gives them a longer lifespan. Commute shoes with a point of view, a more examined life shoes. Shoes born of functionality versus 'a look'. Let’s talk about NEPTUNE NEW COLOURS >> Bronze was an exploration in new outsole colours. A 2-stacked biscuit-latte situation that speaks to more neutral dressing situations. Accented out with highlight dye-to-match lime green buckles for an extra hit of radical sunshine pop. Like icy-poles on a sunny day we choose these buckles to make you smile. Apple-Green inspiration was our summer alternative to black. Candy coloured inspiration in the form of salads, apples and freshness. All the green geatness. Green smoothies. Green energy. Green grass of summer. Accented by chalk buckles for grounding and purifying. Shoes colours like cleanser. Neptune Athletic Sandal in Bronze with biscuit/latte stacked sole (Yum!) NEPTUNE: Walking sandals. Hiking sandals. Wandering around sandals. Dreaming sandals. Summer holiday sandals. Adjustable sandals. Highly wearable sandals. Neptune Athletic Sandal in the new Apple Green We are disciplined in our process to make sure what we put forward is the best edit of flat shoe liberation perfection that will bring you nothing but good time shoe joy. This is Radical Yes See the new styles here... neptune-sandal-bronze, flex-low-cut-slip-on-cornflower, neptune-athletic-sandal-2-0-green-multi, flex-low-cut-slip-on-bronze, radiance-camera-bag
Learn more
