Worth It: Emme Parsons' Susan Tread Sandal

Make this handcrafted shoe a staple of your transitional wardrobe.

Emme Parson's newest tread sandal in tobacco brown
(Image credit: Emme Parson)

When Emme Parsons launched her eponymous shoe line out of her Los Angeles home in 2017, her life already revolved around design. Her previous life involved working as a graphic designer for fashion brands and magazines. 

With a less-is-more approach, Parsons applied her visual design skills to footwear, developing a line of minimalist shoe styles that were interpretations of classic silhouettes. Often described as quiet and disciplined, Parsons' approach to creating footwear is like many greats—slow and deliberate, emphasizing craftsmanship and sustainability. 

Her small collections, filled with a curated selection of essential shoe styles, are handmade in Italy. Practices follow long-held techniques that adhere to the highest standards in environmental responsibility: shoe materials are biodegradable, tanneries use natural dyes, and suede is bio-based, while the brand's packaging uses recycled cardboard and upcycled cotton.

The Susan Tread sandal, one of the newest additions to Parsons' collection, is yet another way to integrate her barely there footwear designs into your late summer/early fall rotation. Versatile and ultra-comfortable, the Susan is constructed with an intentionally thick, recycled tread rubber sole—ensuring comfort and durability. Nappa cording can be fastened around the leg or tied around the ankle. 

The Susan Tread is available in two colorways, black and tobacco brown. Choose your favorite, then start pairing with every outfit from now until you feel that chill in the air. 

Shop Emme Parsons' Susan Tread:

Sara Holzman
Style Director

Sara Holzman is the Style Director for Marie Claire, where she's worked alongside the publication for eight years in various roles, ensuring the brand's fashion content continues to inform, inspire, and shape the conversation about fashion's ever-evolving landscape. With a degree from the Missouri School of Journalism, Sara is responsible for overseeing a diverse fashion content mix, from emerging and legacy designer profiles to reported features on the influence of social media on style and seasonal and micro trends across the world's fashion epicenters in New York, Milan, and Paris. Before joining Marie Claire, Sara held fashion roles at Conde Nast's Lucky Magazine and Self Magazine and was a style and travel contributor to Equinox's Furthermore website. Over her decade of experience in the fashion industry, Sara has helped guide each brand's style point of view, working alongside veteran photographers and stylists to bring editorial and celebrity photo shoots to fruition from start to finish. Sara currently lives in New York City. When she's not penning about fashion or travel, she’s at the farmer’s market, on a run, working to perfect her roasted chicken recipe, or spending time with her husband, dog, and cat. Follow her along at @sarajonewyork