Since I'm a fashion editor, I am always planning ahead. Summer may be far away, but I want us to walk into June well prepared, so listen up. Class is in session, and I'm ready to teach you the best shoes to wear with dresses if you have a vacation coming up or are lucky enough to live in a warm climate. I am known to slowly build my next-season wardrobe using the storage boxes underneath my bed and suggest everyone else does too. This is the best way to guarantee you'll walk into summer fashion with an A+.
I don't consider myself a big dress wearer, but every time I start planning my warm-weather wardrobe, I suddenly become someone who wears dresses (at least a few times a month, that is). But since summer-dress outfits are so very simple, the key to a great summer-dress outfit is the shoes you wear with it. That's where I come in.
While you could just grab your casual dress of choice and throw on the first pair of summer shoes you see, there are many different types of summer shoes and many different types of casual summer dresses to wear with them, so I'm here to provide a little guidance in case you happen to love any of the 15 beautiful dresses featured below. Keep scrolling to shop the combinations you're sure to love as much as I do.
The Dress: Baby-Doll
Baby-doll dresses work best with flat sandals. It's even better if they're a chic ankle-wrap version.
The Shoes: The Classic Ankle-Wrap
The Dress: Backless Midi
Add some height when wearing a backless midi dress via a pair of block-heeled sandals.
The Shoes: Block-Heel Wrap Sandals
The Dress: Loungeworthy Maxi
Dress this up with the right heeled sandals, and you'll have yourself a match made in heaven.
The Shoes: Textured Heels
The Dress: Puff-Sleeve Midi
Ground a chic midi with sturdy leather-strapped sandals.
The Shoes: Leather-Strapped Sandals
The Dress: Floral-Print Bustier
Delicate toe-ring sandals complement this trendy style beautifully.
The Shoes: Toe-Ring Heels
The Dress: Ribbed Tank
Embrace the comfortable-chic look by pairing this knit tank dress with white sneakers.
The Shoes: White Sneakers
The Dress: Colorful Slip
White sandals enhance the colors in this slip dress perfectly.
The Shoes: White Mules
The Dress: Shirtdress
Go with the casual vibes of this white maxi dress via a pair of Birkenstocks.
The Shoes: Birkenstocks
The Dress: Milkmaid Mini
Do as a fashion girl would and wear this milkmaid dress with a pair of equally on-trend platform thong sandals.
The Shoes: Platform Flip-Flops
The Dress: Animal-Print Maxi
Being bold is always a good idea. A statement dress looks great with classic heels, and the below pair will match any dress, so stock up on multiple colors.
The Shoes: Square-Toe Heels
The Dress: Denim Mini
A relaxed denim dress with good boots never fails.
The Shoes: Knee-High Boots
The Dress: Sleek Midi
Everyone needs this dress in their closet.
The Shoes: Textured Mules
The Dress: Tiered Mini
Dress down this tiered minidress with a pair of braided flat sandals.
The Shoes: The New Espadrilles
The Dress: Knit Maxi
If you're going to wear green, you might as well wear equally fun shoes.
The Shoes: Block-Heel Sandals
The Dress: Utility Chic
The obsession happening over this dress on social media is contagious. Try layering a turtleneck underneath for colder months.
The Shoes: Flat Lace-Up Sandals
Next up, My Job Is to Write About Trends—Here Are the 5 I'm Actually Running Around In
This post was published at an earlier date and has since been updated.
-
You Had Me at 50% Off—25 Chic Gap Sale Finds That Will Be Instant Summer Closet StaplesOne step closer to effortless outfits.
-
I'm Not a Fan of Showing My Arms—40 Incredibly Chic Summer Finds That Keep Them CoveredOne less thing to think about.
-
7 Summer Basics You Can Wear All Season Without Getting BoredElevated closet staples.
-
J.Crew Is Having a Major Sale RN—Here Are 29 Pieces I Immediately Added to My CartUp to 50% off.
-
People With Cool Style Are All Wearing These 11 Dress Trends This SummerAnd it's hard to pick a favorite.
-
Shopbop Has So Many New Discounted Gems—I'm Losing It Over These 27 Sale FindsSummer standouts at up to 70% off.
-
8 Pieces That Are the Secret Sauce to an Incredibly Chic Summer Outfit RotationGetting ready just got so much easier.
-
The 2025 Dress Trend I'm Copying From the Olsen Twins to Look Wealthy This SummerPer usual, they were way ahead of their time.
