Tastemakers Agree—These Are the 7 Chicest Colours to Wear on Your Toes for Summer
From peach crème to black cherry, summer’s pedicure trends are bright, bold and fun.
It’s official: summer 2026 is shaping up to be the season of the statement pedicure. After years of soap nails, soft nudes and sheer pinks being the most popular pedicure colours to pair with your sandals, consider this summer the chance to let your toes take centre stage again. Yes, according to experts, once the sunshine hits (surely any day now in the UK, right?) we’ll be switching our pared-back pedis for more playful pops of colour.
Fear not, though, if brights are not your thing, then let me assure you that this season’s best summer pedicure trends strike the perfect balance of main-character energy while still feeling polished. Think juicy sorbet shades, high-shine finishes, and the return of some timeless classics, which all have one thing in common: they’re genuinely wearable.
Ahead, the mood-boosting pedicure colours that experts predict will dominate summer 2026. Trust us, everyone’s about to be asking where you got your toes done.
1. Peach Crème
Soft, flattering, and about as neutral as this summer’s pedicure trends get, this peach pedicure shade is 2026's answer to French tips. It sits somewhere between a warm apricot and a creamy nude and looks flattering on everyone’s toes—plus it goes with absolutely everything. “Peach crème is a real standout for summer as it adds warmth and a healthy glow to the skin, making it particularly flattering in sandals,” explains Townhouse founder and creative director, Juanita Huber-Millet.
Get the Look:
This soft cantaloupe shade of peach is infused with a pearlescent sheen that looks so pretty in the sunshine.
A warm peachy hue with a fine iridescent sparkle that catches the light beautifully.
2. Red Lacquer
Classic red pedicures never really disappear, but this summer’s version is richer, brighter, and finished with an ultra-glossy, almost vinyl-like shine. “A glossy red is still the main character,” says celebrity manicurist Michelle Humphrey. The key is choosing a true cherry or tomato orange for a summer red that pops on toes.
Get the Look:
"Forever yummy is that perfect, clean, high-shine red that just works with everything, and it’s an absolute dream to paint with," says Humphrey.
A bold and bright coral-red with such a shiny finish that people will think you're wearing gel nails.
3. Strawberry Milk
Consider this an upgrade from your classic milky pedicure, as summer’s strawberry milkshake shade has an ultra-glossy, almost jelly-like shine that feels fresh and fun. Think a pink lip gloss in pedicure form. “Customers tend to gravitate towards shades that feel both fresh and long-wearing on their toes, so colours like strawberry milk are always popular as they give a clean, glossy finish and grow out beautifully,” explains Huber-Millet.
Get the Look:
A versatile soft, milky pink shade that glows on the nails.
A juicy jellybean pink shade with an intense, glassy shine.
4. Salted Caramel
Warm brown tones are emerging as one of summer 2026’s chicest pedicure shades, offering a softer, more wearable alternative to the deeper browns that dominated during Autumn/Winter. “For those that still favour a bold choice, chocolate browns and toffees are still going strong and look super chic as a pedicure colour,” says session manicurist Ami Streets.
Get the Look:
A sweet and sticky candy brown shade that looks good on everyone.
This warm toffee-toned shade is perfect for sandal season.
5. Cloud Grey
Soft milky greys are the cool-girl neutral to look out for this season—and lend themselves to the UK's rather fickle take on summer weather. “I love the more unexpected shades for pedicures this summer, and muted or ‘dirty’ pastels like grey-blue offer a more editorial, fashion-led take on colour that really elevates a pedicure,” says Streets. It’s clean, modern and surprisingly chic.
Get the Look:
This beautifully hazy blue polish has heavy grey undertones to keep it feeling chic.
Streets rates this cool-toned grey as one of the chicest options for summer 2026.
6. Summer Glaze
Whether it’s pearlescent, chrome or iridescent finishes, this summer’s most popular pedicures will have a sheen that looks utterly luminous when the sunlight hits. “For a softer pedicure, sheer marshmallow whites in milky sheens make for a barely-there luxe manicure that are simple, polished and always chic,” says Humphrey.
Get the Look:
This soft white has a multidimensional sheen that almost glows on nails.
A beautiful holographic pearly white that adds luminosity to a basic pedicure.
7. Black Cherry
This might feel a more autumn-coded pedicure choice, but rich burgundies and black cherry will make an unexpected alternative to classic brights for summer 2026. “If in doubt, you can never go wrong with a red, but for this season choose cherry and berry shades as your colour inspo,” advises Streets. “A darker red works for summer because it’s timeless, glossy and elevates a tan without feeling overly bright.”
Get the Look:
This quick-drying polish delivers an opaque slick of cherry colour in seconds.
This expensive-looking burgundy lasts for up to 16 days on nails—perfect if you're going away on holiday and don't want to touch up your pedi.
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