The perfect sandals for your next summer holiday

The creators of Ancient Greek Sandals on taking their elevated classics to the world.

Nikolas Minoglou and Christina Martini, founders of Ancient Greek Sandals

The vanishing of the summer holiday for more than two years had serious consequences for Nikolas Minoglou and Christina Martini. Co-founders of independent footwear brand Ancient Greek Sandals, they saw an immediate impact on their business when Covid-19 struck.

“Sandals are connected to travel and warm places, and people weren’t experiencing either,” says Minoglou. “We normally do 90 per cent of our annual sales in summer, so it was challenging.”

Yet with borders opening up once again and people eager to holiday in the Mediterranean mid-year, 2022 is shaping up to be as good for business – or even better – as it was before the pandemic.

Minoglou and Martini met in 2007 when Martini was working as a footwear designer for Louis Vuitton in Paris. They connected over their love of Hellenic art and culture, and brainstormed what was to eventually become Ancient Greek Sandals.

The concept involved elevating the rudimentary make of Greece’s tourist-market sandals and rethinking them using premium materials and superior manufacturing. While Minoglou and Martini’s versions were produced using high-quality leathers, the locals didn’t respond favourably, instead criticising the brand for capitalising on a shoe that had existed for centuries.

Ancient Greek Sandals’ upmarket version of the popular local footwear

“They didn’t take the brand seriously and thought the sandals were overpriced, without considering the level of work and craftsmanship involved,” recalls Minoglou.

Despite whatever criticism the sandals received the international market couldn’t get enough of them, and the brand was immediately snapped up by Net-a-Porter, Harvey Nichols and Matches Fashion. “Greeks appreciate things from abroad, so once we had international recognition the market here responded well,” Minoglou says.

Now the pair have a loyal customer base in Greece and an eye-catching Athens flagship, featuring a sunken floor tiled with glossy mosaics that resembles a shallow pool.

Martini formally trained in footwear design and construction at Cordwainers at London College of Fashion and also worked at Balenciaga. She developed the Ancient Greek Sandals mainline collection with two very specific techniques: the upper straps are designed to tuck into the insole for minimal stitching and strength, and a small wedge is inserted between the insole and heel to lift the back section for added comfort.

Martini and Minoglou work remotely and are based in Corfu and Athens respectively. While Martini heads up the creative side of the business, Minoglou, who has a degree in mechanical engineering and an MBA in entrepreneurship, is the numbers guy. He isn’t, however, entirely new to the footwear industry. Following World War II, his grandfather produced the first rubber boots for farmers, later expanding the family business to include the wholesaling of affordable sport shoes.

Ancient Greek Sandals' elegant reworking of traditional footwear

But in 2005, when Minoglou returned from college in America, the business wasn’t in great shape: “There was a lot of Chinese competition and I was full of energy. I had an idea to create an online shop like Zappos, but in Greece.”

Using the existing logistics and software already at his disposal, he launched myshoe.gr, an online multi-brand platform selling accessible shoe brands. Now, Ancient Greek Sandals and myshoe.gr share warehousing. “It helped a lot as AGS was able to tap into the systems and manpower of myshoe when it needed to, especially in the first two years.”

The brand’s minimalist styles are the most successful commercially, but there’s a plethora of variations that speak to its philosophy of putting a contemporary spin on the traditional. There has been a number of collaborations over the years, including a partnership with Australian jeweller Lucy Folk, who adorned three classic styles with hand-worked metal embellishments inspired by powerful deities and Berber symbology.

The brand has now turned its attention to homewares

“It was a good match; we both value heritage and tradition and are drawn to creating pieces that feel somewhat old but are still relevant,” says Folk. “Both our businesses are aligned in that they speak to the modern woman who appreciates culture and loves to travel. Plus, we both share a love for the sun and a simple island life.”

Greek mythology serves as an inspiration for the brand, whose shoes are adorned with small gold wing buckles in an ode to the messenger god Hermes, whose own winged pair of sandals enabled him to travel fast and freely. Minoglou and Martini trademarked the charm, not only for looks but to differentiate themselves from a slew of imitators who have reached as far as Zara.

“It’s disappointing, because all our sandals are made in Greece so we do contribute economically,” says Minoglou. “For a country that has gone through such crises, employment and manufacturing onshore is important.”

Simply surviving the past two years should be cause enough for celebration, but in lieu of the company’s 10th birthday, Ancient Greek Sandals is debuting two new categories: bags and, inspired by a year at home, homewares such as cappings for ouzo carafes and bread baskets. Like the sandals, items are made from the brand’s signature vachetta leather, which will patina naturally, each new scuff or mark evidence of a summer well lived.