Like it or not, sandals have become a big trend in men's fashion

Sandals are now produced by labels that are world renowned, obscure and available at every price point. Photo: Vinny's

If for most of recent urban history the preferred form of footwear for men in a city was the shoe, we have definitively entered a new era – the Age of the Sandal.

This decidedly unscientific observation is based on a recent walking tour of Manhattan from top to bottom – Inwood to Battery Park – on the East and West sides (although, things may be different in other American urban centres).