Let's Go Topless

It is hot. It is summer. Let's gets comfortable and go topless. I never have before, but I would like to try it. Might be freedom never experienced before. Have you ever gone topless?

You do know what I am talking about don't you? I'm not talking about boobies, you big BOOBIE! (LoL!) I am talking shoes. Topless shoes! Yes I am! I have just heard about topless shoes. Actually dirty Fila saw something about them on the tele and told me about them on yesterday. She was at her grandmothers' house watching the Tony Danza shoe and apparently he tried a pair on and then gave a pair to each member of the audience. (Note to self: find new job that will allow me to appear on talk shoes in the audience and get free prizes. Items missed so far include cars from Oprah, Topless shoes from Tony, many of Oprah's favorite things, all the gifts from The View during their holiday shoe and the list goes on. Why oh why am I stuck behind a desk and a computer 9 hours a day!!!!!!?????) Let's hear about those topless shoes!

New vibrant colors and improved quality are the focus of today's "Topless Sandals" produced by That's Cool Inc. of Yuma, AZ. The Original Topless Sandal is a real attention getter because it adheres like a second skin and has no visible means of attaching to your foot.

Sold as the "Down Under", the sandal is designed to be worn as a beach shoe, pedicure sandal, a house slipper, on the pool deck, at the camp site, to the market or just out for a walk. Almost any where you go, you can step lively in this colorful sandal. They adhere to your feet like a second skin. Women love the bright colors and stunning patterns.

Warranted for a problem free year, maintenance is not tricky. When the adhesive stops bonding well or when they get dirty, a soap and water scrub applied with a stiff bristle brush will clean them right up. Letting them dry well in a warm area rejuvenates the glue and the shoe comes right back to its original state.

Invented more than a few years ago, the patent pending sandal has evolved from its original adhesive coated rubberized sole to the current fashionable, fabric coated, neoprene product. The secret is the adhesive coats which allow the user to step on the sandal and walk off. The special skin adhesive built into the sandal adheres to the foot without leaving a "sticky" residue.

Well, for those of you really dissapointed that I was talking about shoes, here is a list of the top ten topless beaches in the world where suits are optional. It is summer afterall...maybe I can REALLY go topless wearing my topless sandals! Forbes

Because of its French and Dutch heritage, a European attitude towards nudity prevails on the island of St. Martin/St. Maarten. Most beaches are topless, but a few--Orient Beach, Coconut Grove and Tintamarre--are clothing optional. Be forewarned: You'll roast in the Caribbean sun. La Samanna, which just underwent an extensive renovation, is one of the most luxurious and romantic resorts in the world. Rates start at $765. For more information, call: 590 87 64 00.

Without a doubt, Miami's South Beach is the best topless beach in America. South Beach has miles of powdery white sand, clear turquoise water and throngs of celebrities, models and perfectly tanned and toned bodies. While the Delano is a top choice, the new Shore Club Hotel is the kind of place where it's perfectly acceptable to wear strappy high heels with your bikini as you lounge poolside with a cocktail in hand. It's also home to an outpost of Nobu, the hip sushi restaurant owned by Nobuyuki Matsuhisa. Rates start at $208. For more information, call The Shore Club: (305) 695-3100.

When thinking of the island of Capri, it's hard not to associate it with the famous photograph of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis walking barefoot through its cobble-stoned streets. Capri (as well as the less-crowded Anacapri) still draws an international crowd hell-bent on partying. The beaches tend to be rocky, so the best place to lay out is simply on a large boulder. The opulent Grand Hotel Quisisana, originally built as a sanatorium in 1845 by an English doctor, overlooks the sea. Rates start at $395. For more information, call: 39 081 837 0788.

The water may be chilly in Cape Town but the beaches are warm and the scenery--rolling hills, Table Mountains and tanned beach goers--is all beautiful. The hottest beach along Victoria Road is Clifton (Camps Bay is a close second); both stretches of beach are located across the road from stylish neighborhoods crammed with shops, bars and restaurants. Paragliders often land on a corner of Clifton Beach. The place to stay is the small but sophisticated Bay Hotel, directly across the street from the beach. Rates start at $83. For more information, call: 27 21 430 4444.

Santorini becomes a den of debauchery during the summer, thanks to its hot, dry weather and its clubs, which stay open until the sun comes up. (Many people tend to go straight from the clubs to the beach to sleep off the previous night's excess.) Two of the best beaches on Santorini for people-watching are the black-sand beaches of Kamari and Perissa--the sand is black because of volcanic activity, and flip-flops (or sprinting) is necessary when moving from towels to the water. Stay at the cliffside Katikies Hotel, which consists of white domed cottages and a series of pools. Rates start at €177 ($191). For more information, call: 30 0286 71401

Some of Spain's best beaches are found along the Costa del Sol (literally, the sun coast), which includes Marbella and Malaga. Slightly less crowded is the town of Estepona. True naturists can head to Costa Natura, about two miles west of Estepona, the only official nudist colony along the Costa del Sol. The new Kempinski Resort Estepona is serene and away from the main strip. Rates start around €220 ($239). For more information, call: 34 95 280 95 00

While the beaches of Ipanema are more beautiful than those of Copacabana, we chose the latter because of the famed Copacabana Palace hotel, which faces the beach and offers its guests--what else?--complimentary cabana service--as well as some of the most beautiful rooms in the city. This being Brazil, even standard bikinis are micro-sized. Rates start at $254. For more information, call: (55) 21 548 7070.

Some would consider the French Riviera the birthplace of topless tanning. While the beaches tend to be rocky, the glamour quotient more than makes up for it (renting a chaise lounge will take care of the rock problem). Plan a trip during the Cannes Film Festival, which kicks off May 14, where there's more flesh on display than usual. The recently renovated Carlton Inter-Continental has been a popular choice for celebrities and wanna-bes for generations. Rates start around $280. For more information, call: 33 4 93 06 40 0

Some of the most beautiful beaches--populated by some of the most beautiful people--in the world exist in French Polynesia, with its shimmering blue and green lagoons. While Moorea and Tahiti are both fine choices, Bora Bora has the magnificent Le Meridien Bora Bora hotel, with glass-bottom bungalows perched over the water. Guests can also dive off their front deck into the water. Rates start at $439. For more information, call (800) 543-4300.

Few places are as synonymous with laid-back beach culture as Australia, and Bondi Beach in Sydney is one of its best. Bondi is a mile-long stretch of protected beach cove, with powdery sand and dark blue water. It's easy to spend the entire day (and night) at the beach, with its stretch of cafes, restaurants, bars and hotels. Tamarama beach, on Bondi's south end (nicknamed "Glamorama"), is another popular choice. There's also an outdoor gym. At night, escape to the quiet of the Observatory Hotel in Sydney. Rates start around $286. For more information, call: 61-2 9256-2222.

What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe!
~~Aileen Mehle~~