There was a time in not too distant memory when it was almost impossible to choose a nice pair of sandals for summer. It was an era that gave sandals a terrible name and inspired a widespread prejudice against summer footwear altogether. It’s a black mark that summer shoes are still trying to live down, but recent seasons have seen an explosion in the creativity and effort that goes into the category.
We hit the net to pull together a list of summer shoes that shouldn’t scare you. From Bottega Veneta to Birkenstock and everything in between, this is concrete proof that, actually, summer shoes have hit an all-time high.
Browse our 10 favorite pairs of summer shoes below.
adidas Adilette Sandals
Adilette Shower Slides
adidas
Where better to start our foray into the best summer footwear than the iconic adidas Adilette slide? This red pair brings the heat this summer.
Birkenstock Boston Sandals
Boston
Birkenstock
When we spoke about the dark days of summer shoes, we forgot to say that there was one shining light throughout the whole thing: Birkenstocks. They will never die.
Valentino Leather Sandals
Leather Slides
Valentino
Valentino takes a much more sophisticated tack than the growing contingent of rubber iterations this season. This pair of crossing leather sandals works with more formal trousers, too.
Off-White™ Rubber Slides
Rubber Slides
Off-White™
Off-White™ is always a safe bet when it comes to rubber slides the molded footbed is wildly comfortable and the pairs always come with a bold graphic aspect.
HOKA Recovery Slide
Recovery Slide
HOKA
HOKA broke the market with its huge, engineered sole units and they're coming for the slides game too. The brand's Recovery Slides retain the chunky sole unit of the running sneakers for maximum comfort in the heat.
Crocs Marbled Clogs
Marbled Clogs
Crocs
Crocs has certainly been a surprising glow-up in recent seasons. Riding the wave of big, bold rubber footwear, the once-derided brand has shown the haters to never write someone off.
Bottega Veneta Rubber Sandals
Rubber Sandals
Bottega Veneta
Bottega Veneta’s new Rubber Sandals are a real highlight of the season. The rubber Roman sandal works in all environments and all wardrobes, and it’s not lacking in shock value, either.
KEEN Uneek Sandals
Uneek Sandals
KEEN
KEEN, like Crocs, has seen a quick flight to the top of contemporary style. The brand that dedicated itself to utility has seen a huge come up with the help of the Gorp wave.
Versace Medusa Slides
Medusa Slides
Versace
There's a lot going on in this pair of Versace slides. The molded uppers feature the classic baroque detailing and culminate in a Medusa logo to the vamp.
Gucci Rubber Mules
Perforated Sandals
Gucci
If you’re a regular Highsnobiety reader, you’ll know how much we love a good pair of mules. Gucci’s black rubber mules feature a perforated monogram vamp and an unlikely rugged outsole to boot.
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