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If the right pair of shoes can make an outfit, this season’s hottest styles are prepared to work overtime. Summer’s biggest footwear trends offer plenty of ways to add interest to warm-weather looks and command attention from the ground up, from artisan-inspired fabrications and decorative embellishments to sharper shapes that turn familiar staples into fresh fashion must-haves.
Shell-embellished sandals lead the adornment camp, bringing a seaside sensibility to the season’s footwear lineup. Raffia offers a more understated interpretation of resort dressing, with everything from oxfords and mules to flats and flip-flops showcasing the natural texture more commonly associated with handbags and hats. Beaded styles further embrace ornamentation, with colorful stones, pearls, and decorative gem details transforming simple sandals into vacation statement pieces.
The season’s most familiar shoe categories are evolving too, bringing an unexpected twist to everyday city uniforms. Woven ballerinas update one of summer’s most enduring silhouettes, the leather ballet flat, with latticework and open construction. Another recognizable warm-weather favorite returns in the form of clear shoes, though streamlined shapes and restrained palettes keep the jelly revival from feeling overly nostalgic or twee.
For summer’s dressier moments, designers are playing with proportion and geometry. Angular heels turn footwear into a focal point through sculptural stilettos. Square toes create a similarly graphic effect, giving pumps, slingbacks, and sandals a sharper stance.
Meanwhile, creamy lace-ups and backless loafers provide flat ground for the season’s more utilitarian offerings. White sneakers and derby-inspired shoes offer practical alternatives to open-toe sandals, while half loafers balance a traditional workwear silhouette with the convenience of a slip-on and the lightness of a mule.
This season, summer’s biggest footwear trends prove that practicality and personality no longer sit at opposite ends of the shoe rack. Ahead, shop the styles that will put a fresh spin on every warm-weather outfit.
Shore Thing
Beach season is coming for your footwear. Sandals decorated with cowries, mother-of-pearl embellishments, and shell-like charms bring a beachcomber spirit to otherwise simple silhouettes. Stick to neutral colorways so that the look feels modern rather than costumey.
Resort to Raffia
Raffia is no longer reserved for beach bags and wide-brimmed hats. This season, the natural fiber appears on everything from woven flats and oxfords to heeled mules and flip-flop sandals, lending a subtly rustic finish and bringing vacation energy to everyday dressing.
Bead Party
Shoes are getting the jewelry treatment this season. Colorful beads, elegant pearls, and organically shaped stones add brightness and texture to pared-back sandals. The embellished look works particularly well when the rest of the outfit is kept simple and the shoes can take center stage.
Open Weave
The ballet flat’s latest evolution is here. Woven leather, latticework, and open-weave construction give the familiar (and beloved) silhouette a breezier feel. More substantial than a mesh flat and less precious than a classic leather ballerina, it is summer’s answer to the wearable everyday shoe.
In the Clear
Transparent footwear is having a revival (again). Jelly flats, see-through sandals, and barely visible PVC heels and straps offer a nostalgic hit without feeling overly retro or old-fashioned. To keep the look from skewing young, seek out minimalist designs, open-toe silhouettes, and softer tones.
A Lesson in Geometry
This season’s heeled styles are taking a sharper turn. Slanted heels, angular blocks, and sculptural stilettos bring an architectural twist to the most minimal pump or sandal silhouettes. With built-in drama from the heel, these elegant shoes will make a special-occasion statement at any summer wedding or party.
Clean Slate
White lace-ups are bringing a sporty freshness to summer footwear. Whether in the form of canvas trainers, low-profile sneakers, or trend-forward derby shoes, these athletic silhouettes offer a clean counterpoint to the season’s more decorative options. They are also extremely versatile, working just as well at the office as on a weekend outing or vacation.
Cutting Corners
After several seasons of pointed and almond-shaped shoes, the square toe is making its return. The blunt shape gives ladylike pumps, slingbacks, and mules a more contemporary look. Meanwhile, on ballet flats and sandals, the same angular silhouette adds a dose of unexpected cool.
Business in the Front
The loafer has shed its heel for summer. Backless versions of the footwear staple retain the structure of the classic shoe while offering the slip-on convenience of a mule. Landing somewhere between back-to-school-ready and off-duty, they style especially well with cropped trousers, relaxed tailoring, and any article of clothing with a borrowed-from-the-boys sensibility.
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