Yeah, dudes don't have a lot of options when it comes to sandals, I think. The shaped sandals are great though, and worth it.
To be honest, I never understood the appeal of cheap thongs (are people too afraid to use that term now, or was it just never a popular term to begin with?), because while they are simple, they tend to hurt. In most cases where I would wear thongs, I'm better to go barefoot. The most annoying thing that I notice, by far -- and maybe it's because I'm not a feather, but in any case -- is when the little hard piece of whatever is connecting the parts of the sandal together is actually tangible. What is that? How is anyone supposed to walk on rocks like that?
I used to wear 'em as a kid. Now, instead, I tend to wear flats. Maybe this thread has inspired me to go searching for a pair of nice sandals, just in time for the rainy seasons.