The Best Summer Sandals Could Have Been From the '90s
The fashion industry loves a nostalgic turn, and right now it’s clear that the ’90s are at the front of designers’ minds. We’re seeing everything from sunglasses with small frames to straight-leg jeans, but it’s the ’90s-inspired strappy sandals popping up everywhere that have really stood out recently. And when they first started bubbling up, the shoes instantly made me think of a pair Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy was snapped wearing back in the previous decade.
It’s no secret that Bessette-Kennedy cemented her spot as a ’90s fashion icon, and it goes without saying that everything she wore then, including her footwear, is now cool again. Her particular sandals—with the delicate interwoven straps—remind me a lot of Céline’s 2018 version, which has been snapped on fashion girls like Pernille Teisbaek. If you want to try the trend for yourself, there are versions from designers across the board that will have you feeling like a ’90s girl just like that.
Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s streamlined looks epitomized cool, minimal ’90s style. Here, her strappy sandals are very similar to the styles becoming popular again now.
Our Instagram feeds are flooded with these minimalistic sandals that could have been plucked straight from the ’90s.
Shop our favorite versions:
Available in sizes 5 to 10.
Available in Italian sizes 36 to 40.
Available in sizes 36 to 41.
If you’re inspired to see more of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s signature looks from the ’90s, look no further.
Kristen Nichols is the Associate Director, Special Projects at Who What Wear with over a decade of experience in fashion, editorial, and publishing. She oversees luxury content and wedding features, and covers fashion within the luxury market, runway reporting, shopping features, trends, and interviews with leading industry experts. She also contributes to podcast recordings, social media, and branded content initiatives. Kristen has worked with brands including Prada, Chanel, MyTheresa, and Luisa Via Roma, and rising designers such as Refine and Tove, and her style has been featured in publications including Vogue.com, Vogue France, WWD, and the CFDA. Before Who What Wear, Kristen began her career at Rodarte, where she worked on assistant styling, photo shoots, and runway shows, and at Allure, where she moved into print and digital editorial. She graduated from the University of Southern California, where she studied art history and business, and currently lives in New York.
-
The Pretty Shoe Styles Fashion People Are Wearing With Black Dresses
These combinations are so major.
By Taylor Augustin
-
I Have a New Favorite White T-Shirt, Sandals, and Denim Shorts—Here's the Tea
I just needed to tell someone.
By Allyson Payer
-
This Is the One Outfit Formula Cool Scandi Girls Wear on Repeat
Get ready in 10 minutes or less.
By Jennifer Camp Forbes
-
Hailey Bieber Wore Summer's Cutest White Minidress With Perpetual It Sandals
It can be yours for $160.
By Allyson Payer
-
Martha Hunt's French Sandals Have Had a Cult Following for 90 Years
So chic.
By Erin Fitzpatrick
-
I Just Went Nuts in J.Crew's Shoe Section—21 Pairs I Can't Believe I Found
From Birkenstocks to ballet flats.
By Eliza Huber
-
Celebs With Simple Style Wear These 7 Sandals Nonstop
Hitting repeat.
By Anna LaPlaca
-
I Tried This Editor-Approved Sandal for Summer—These 3 Looks Proved Their Worth
New Yorker–approved footwear.
By Natalie Gray Herder