I had the pure and utter pleasure of spending the past week in the Baja region of Mexico. (BTW–take me back there now, please).

During the trip, although shopping took a rare backseat to other oh-so-important activities (tanning... guacamole eating... sting ray spotting...), a day journey to the small and super-chilled surfer town of Todos Santos introduced me to the brainchild of a Quiksilver alum, Beek, an insanely well-made handcrafted sandal brand stocked in a teeny local boutique called Nomad Chic.

A longtime fan of unfussy leather sandals that age like Linda Rodin (I think it's been nearly a decade now that I've been wearing the same pair of tan wrap-up gladiators purchased during a trip to Athens back in college), this pair of Beeks literally made my heart race.

Look closely, and you'll see that the brand geniusly shapes arch support into the seemingly flat soles. One try, and you're totally hooked.

If only Mexico vacations–or at the very least, summer–could last forever....