These 9 sandals range from under-$100 sport styles to investment leather that softens over seasons, and the right one depends on whether your summer days are mostly walking, standing, or switching between both.
A molded cork footbed that shapes to your arch makes the difference between making plans and canceling them by mid-afternoon, which is why the Birkenstock Arizona I keep by the door still gets picked up when my feet already hurt and I still have to walk.
1. Slides
Slides solve the summer problem of wanting out of your shoes fast without looking like you gave up.
A bow strap across the top keeps your foot secure, which matters more than it sounds when you’re carrying groceries or a tote.
Beige platforms work with jeans or a sundress without the shoe dictating the outfit. Rothy’s Weekend version in natural hemp and recycled plastic holds up through machine washing in cold water, though the lighter colorway will show dirt over time.
For walking a full day in heat, you will want more arch support than most slides offer; save these for shorter trips or keep a backup pair in your bag.
2. Kitten Heel Sandals
A kitten heel gives you the posture shift of a heel without the commitment to an evening’s worth of height.
Glossy pink patent with a toe ring and criss-cross straps reads as deliberate rather than apologetic for the lower heel, which is the point.
Boden does a two-strap version in color that lets the sandal carry the outfit while everything else stays neutral. Jambu & Co cushions theirs for all-day wear.
For summer events where you will stand or walk more than you expect, the modest heel saves your calves while still reading as dressed-up; the ankle buckle on this style keeps the foot from sliding forward, which flats often let happen.
3. Gladiator Sandals
Gladiator sandals borrow the caged look from ancient utility and turn it into something that frames the foot rather than hiding it.
Multi-strap versions let the straps themselves become the design interest so the rest of the outfit can stay quiet.
You can wear these with cropped pants where the straps show, or with a midi dress where they peek out at the hemline.
The strapping adds structure that a simple slide does not have, which helps if your feet tend to slide around in open shoes. Neutral shades go with most of a summer wardrobe without needing a separate color strategy.
4. Closed Toe Flat Sandals
Closed-toe flats answer the specific problem of wanting sandairiness without baring your feet. The woven mesh covers the toe while still venting heat, held by thin ankle straps that keep the heel from lifting.
Massimo Dutti does a leather cage style that works the same way: you get the cool of a sandal with the coverage of a shoe.
This matters for offices that frown on open toes, or for days when your feet are not in a state you care to display.
The mesh or woven upper is the detail to check; solid leather across the toe loses the breathable point of wearing sandals at all.
5. Birkenstock Arizona
Birkenstock’s Arizona carries the 1973 two-strap design with a cork latex footbed that shapes to your arch over time; the newer softer footbed speeds up that break-in period so you do not power through a week of stiffness.
The classic dark brown and beige both read as neutral enough for denim, linen, or a maxi dress.
I rotate through the black as a house shoe and the brown for daily wear. The EVA sole adds durability without much weight.
The Big Buckle version updates the hardware if you want something that reads less utilitarian. These are the sandal I grab when my feet already hurt and I still have to walk.
6. Fisherman Sandals
Fisherman sandals close the foot in woven leather that looks more intentional than a sneaker while giving comparable coverage.
Brown is the everyday neutral; white or black work better if your summer clothes run plain and need the shoe to carry interest.
Boden’s traditional version in a neutral shade goes with most of what you already own.
Freda Salvador makes an investment pair that carried one editor through two weeks in the South with dresses, pants, and shorts; the closed construction means they work in settings where a toe-baring sandal would not.
Check that the weave does not pinch at the widest part of your foot, since leather here has less give than a single strap would.
7. Strappy Sandals
Multiple thin straps spread pressure across the foot instead of concentrating it on one band, which matters if you are walking a full day.
Metallic gold or silver reads as jewelry against a neutral outfit; matte leather in tan or black stays quieter and pairs with patterned dresses.
Thicker straps are the current move if you want the sandal itself to carry the look. AllSaints adds hardware for an edge that works with cropped pants and a plain tee.
For a footbed that shapes over time, Vince’s cork version comes in enough colors to match whatever you already own. Check that the ankle lacing does not gap when you bend your foot forward; a loose wrap defeats the support.
8. Wedge Sandals
A wedge gives you the lift of a heel with a platform that your whole foot sits on, so your weight spreads instead of pressing the ball of your foot into the ground.
The black base with gold medallions above it reads as dressed-up without reading as fragile.
Fly London’s T-bar in perforated suede vents heat while the bulky sole adds an edge to feminine outfits; the Yaco style comes in metallics or neutrals if you want the same shape in a quieter color.
ECCO’s cork wedge and Eileen Fisher’s espadrille both run in shades that go with white jeans or linen without needing a separate color plan.
The espadrille jute wraps at the sides, not under the arch, so the cushioned insole does the actual work.
9. Chunky Sandals
Thick soles and wide straps make a sandal that carries visual weight without asking your feet to do the same. White chunky sandals read as modern against dark pants or as deliberate contrast with a floral dress.
Boden’s footbed sandal in a neutral shade goes with shorts or cropped pants without fighting the line of the leg.
For maximum cushioning, Palladium’s sport sandal sits on a squishy footbed with adjustable velcro straps; the tread is thick enough for full days of walking.
The masculine edge of that style works especially well if your usual look runs utility or minimal rather than delicate.
Check that the sole flexes where your foot does; a platform that does not bend will clomp and tire you faster than a thinner sole would.
Importance of Arch Support
Arch support is where most sandals fail you, and you feel it after an hour of standing, not before.
A footbed that matches your arch keeps your heel from rolling inward and your knees from compensating, which is why the molded cork and latex beds matter more than the upper design.
Slides and thin-soled strappy styles usually offer none; that is the trade for their minimal look. If you need real support for a full day, the brands that build it in are worth the boxier silhouette.
Rothy’s Weekend slides and most thin-strapped evening styles are not built for this. Birkenstock’s cork footbed and Jambu & Co’s cushioned kitten heels are exceptions that still read as deliberate style choices.
A sandal that lets your foot slide forward undoes whatever support the footbed has, which is why the back strap or ankle wrap matters as much as the arch shape.
Choosing the Right Size
Sizing in sandals is less forgiving than in closed shoes because every gap shows. A half-size too long and your heel lifts off the footbed; too narrow and the straps cut where they should sit flat.
Slides are the worst offenders for fit problems. Without a back strap, your foot has to match the footbed length exactly or you are clawing with your toes to keep them on.
Adjustable straps fix some of this, letting you tighten across the instep without sizing up to get width.
I check for 3 things in order: does my heel sit flush at the back, do my toes clear the front edge by about a thumb’s width, and can I bend my foot forward without the straps gaping open.
The woven leather of fisherman sandals and the mesh of closed-toe flats both have less stretch than single straps, so the width at the ball of your foot has to be right from the first wear.
Material Considerations
Leather and suede soften to your foot shape over time, which is why they break in rather than breaking down.
Synthetic materials hold their structure longer but do not give, and they vent heat poorly; on a humid day in the city, that matters.
The EVA sole on Birkenstock’s Arizona is a different category entirely: lightweight, waterproof, and shaped to the footbed rather than stretching to your foot.
For straps that touch skin all day, soft leather or padded fabric linings avoid the hot spots that hard edges create.
Check the underside of any strap that crosses bone: if the material is the same rough finish on both sides, it will rub before it softens.
Suede linings solve this on higher-end pairs, though they wear faster with sweat and sunscreen.
