Summer is here, and it’s time to refresh your pedicure and show off your feet! Like most accessories, certain sandals remain evergreen as footwear trends ebb and flow with fads and what’s going on with the world in a broader sense.
“I think we’re going to be seeing two opposing trends this summer: the timeless chic sandal and the maximalist floral sandal,” predicts Julia Rabinowitsch, the vintage footwear expert behind popular Instagram The Millennial Decorator. As for the former: “After the wedding of Sophia Richie Grange, this discord of timeless dressing has been on the top of everyone’s mind. I think simple, sleek lines will be everywhere this summer.” Three-dimensional florals, meanwhile, have already been taking over ready-to-wear, so they’re bound to dominate footwear as well.
According to Fashionista, from rosette adornments to metallic finishes, these nine styles offer something for every footwear preference, budget and priority. Strut into spring and summer as your best-heeled self by browsing (and shopping) 2023’s leading sandal trends, ahead.
Rosette Sandals
In 2023, everything’s coming up roses. Rabinowitsch deems it the “style of the summer,” and her prediction tracks according to Klarna, which has seen a whopping 716% (!)increase in “floral sandal” sales over the past six months. “Rosettes have been around for a very long time but it’s so fascinating seeing them come back in such a big, mainstream way,” Rabinowitsch says.
Pro tip: Bloom-ify any sandals you already own with Maguire’s new satin rosette clips.
Inflated Sandals
The trend towards surrealist, sculptural design has inflated everything from our eyewear to our outerwear. It carries over into summer with cushioned kicks of all kinds, from Yume Yume’s viral Love heel to Axel Arigato’s bubble flip-flop. In this category, we see a lot of crossover with another surprising find from Klarna: a 294% increase in metallic footwear purchases over the past 6 months.
Thong Sandals
“An elevated thong sandal will always be a closet staple,” argues Rabinowitsch, who recently bought a pair of The Row Ginza sandals second-hand. Be it a beach-bag favorite or a hurried by-the-door option, these have a place in every summer rotation, as proven by a 239% jump in Klarna shoppers’ searches for flip-flops over the past three months.
Big-Buckled Sandals
Double- (or even single-) buckle slides with thick footbed soles (à la Birkenstock’s famous Arizona) are warm-weather mainstays — so it’s no surprise that purchases of “chunky sandal” have increased 299%over the last six months, per Klarna. The effortless style can feel modern with Prada or Naked Wolfe’s lugged soles or skew bohemian as with mou’s crochet-stitched pair.
Carved Wood Sandals
Rabinowitsch foresees a “boho wood vibe” making a comeback: “I just sourced a bunch of vintage wood heels for an upcoming collaboration and asked myself, ‘Why don’t I source this style more often?'”
Flatform Sandals
Platform slides have been inching up the polls for some time now. Klarna tracked a 392% increase in purchases of these styles over the last six months, and a 932% spike in purchases of “flatform sandals” over that same time.
Strappy Sandals
Over the past several summers, the fashion crowd has adhered to a “the strappier, the better” ethos when it comes to sandals, and the look is only getting hotter: Klarna shoppers have purchased over four times more (402%) “strappy sandals” over the past six months.
This trend has range, from leather gladiator silhouettes (another re-emerging trend based on a 643% increase in purchases over the past six months on Klarna), to knotted rope espadrilles, to the barely-there ‘nude’ straps popularized by Phoebe Philo’s Céline, The Row and other minimal-leaning labels.
Sporty Sandals
Athletic, treaded “dad” sandals have been all the rage for some time now among the high fashion crowd, which has enthusiastically adopted practical footwear (like the recent Chloé x Teva collab). This wave is still going strong, according to Rabinowitsch. “I personally love a sporty look when dressing up or down,” she says. “All-terrain shoes make an outfit look interesting and give it an element of cool.”
Orange and Gold Sandals
Color-wise, bright orange and shimmering gold are trending in sandals. Rabinowitsch is excited: “I think these are two of the most flattering colors, no matter your skin tone.”
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