The Spring Sandal Guide
Building your uniform with a deep dive into Spring's best sandals
Since this is Uniform, I wanted to preface this post to say that this is a deep dive on what I think are all the best sandals out there right now. My recommendation for building on your wardrobe would be to pick out what you need from this list (i.e., one sandal for the city, one for the beach; or an everyday sandal, etc.) that fills an intentional gap, rather than buying any and all at random, of course.
This is a comprehensive guide for sandals in bright colors, comfortable soles, styles for evening, and everything in between. They’re all from brands I have owned over the years, and I can vouch for their quality, longevity, and comfort. Each one is wearable (see my many iterations below), relevant for the moment, and would be a great addition to your spring and summer uniform—if you need it. Full personal disclosure though- sandals are one of my favorite things so I probably have own more than I should!
The Strappy Sandal
This category of sandal is a good, minimal go-to for making an outfit feel more polished. I own and love the Emme Parsons pair. The deep colors, gold detailing, and skinny straps make these so sophisticated and clean. Love these worn with a suit or a as a complement to a neutral outfit.
Strappy and Colorful
The colorful take on this category is just such a fun iteration. I have a yellow pair like the suede Toteme sandals that I wear a lot. The color almost acts as a neutral but gives just a little sunny detail to some of my more understated outfits (see last week’s post on wearing color). I love the grass-green of The Row, and I have to call out the red A Emery sandals. The suede sole is so pillowy under your foot and the red tone has just enough orange in it that they look great with almost anything!
Elegant Slides
These all either have a metal detail, satin straps, or a tiny heel like the Khaite pair, acting like an element of unexpected jewelry for your feet. Any of these would be chic and unexpected with an anklet and obviously great for evening.
The Chunky Sandal
If you love a Birkenstock, this is the elevated/fashion version of your category (I own a lot of these). It’s such a good go-to sandal when you need to do a lot of walking or just want to be comfortable. I have The Row pair, which are unbelievably comfortable, and try to talk everyone I love into buying them. The Toteme ones are so good, and I get the most compliments on my A Emerys in this style. The Hermes style I keep wanting and have yet to add to cart.
Classic-ish
I have this pair of Everlane sandals (similar to the Everlane style above) from when they first launched (10 years ago!) and I still wear them to this day. They have a thinner leather sole, a classic strap situation, and are the inspiration behind this category. It’s a style that’s so transitional and easy, you can always throw on, dress up or down, and take on almost any type of trip.
The Upgraded Flip Flop
This is one of my favorite of-the-moment categories of sandals, like the Miu Miu it-sandal of the summer with the rope detailing. They’re all comfortable, fun, fashion forward. I love the sleek, elegant leather flip-flops like this Madewell pair. The beauty of this style is how well they go juxtaposed with a dressier outfit. I grabbed a pair of the Havianas and have been styling with a suit or a satin pant (like above) for an unexpected pairing.
Fisherman
And finally a sandal that does not demand toe exposure. I own and wear The Row fisherman sandals a lot. For a more elegant, refined version of this style, I love the Emme Parsons and Gabriela Hearst take.
I hope any one of these styles can help fill a gap in your warm-weather uniforms!
xo
ali
These are too good
Thank you for this! I really struggle with summer shoes that are actually comfortable and chic. They also take such a beating!