Cool Summer Shoes Are Truly My Specialty—3 Top Styles to Know About Now

Fashion influencer and stylist Monikh Dale in her chic London home wearing a black dress and elegant heeled flip-flop sandals.

(Image credit: @monikh)

Okay, I'm finally ready to dive into some serious summer shoe shopping, and there's just so much to choose from. My style has had this whole "modern classics" vibe for a minute now, but I'm actually delighted to notice I'm feeling more inclined to lean into footwear trends this season. My summer wardrobe is brimming with really good investment pieces, but all that classic RTW is begging for a little of-the-moment touch.

Look, I planned on highlighting just my number one key sandal style, but it quickly turned into three. What can I say? There's just a lot of great summer footwear floating around, and I'm not here to skip anything important! From minimalistic strappy sandal options to gently on-trend details, here are the extremely wearable footwear styles that have made my short list for summer.

Toe Rings

Woman wearing Atlantica toe-ring sandals.

(Image credit: Free People)

I was originally going to call this a micro-trend, but sandals with metal toe rings have ticked over into full-blown trend status. There are lots of options to shop right now—including this buzzy Zara pair that's just sold out in white and silver but is still available in black and gold. There are designer styles aplenty, including a $25 pair that easily look 10 times the price. Don't miss that the above pair from Jeffrey Campbell comes in red, silver, and bronze as well.

Crochet

Model wears Castañer Pat Two-Tone Raffia Slides.

(Image credit: Net-a-Porter)

This summer's crochet trend hasn't skipped the footwear category. Open-weave raffia and macramé sandals have big summer vibes, while some softer crochet-knit flats feel like an extension of that mesh-slipper trend that just keeps on keeping on.

Flip-Flops

Model wearing kitten-heel sandals.

(Image credit: Mango)

Whether you call them flip-flops or thongs (or jandals if you're from New Zealand like me), this beachy staple has quietly becoming the epitome of low-key, minimalistic summer style. Flat leather options like The Row's City Flip Flops will never go out of style, and kitten-heel and slingback options feel particularly primed for this season.

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Natalie Cantell
Contributing Fashion Editor

Natalie Cantell is an NYC-based style director, creative consultant, and contributing fashion editor. She was the executive director of Who What Wear and Marie Claire’s brand studio until 2023, and now freelances globally on shoots, stories, and special projects across fashion, luxury, beauty, home, and travel.