Welcome to high summer. By this time, your outfit rotation probably looks something like this: denim shorts (long, of course), simple vest tops and sandals—lots of sandals. When you're beelining to the nearest beach, strolling through the park or enjoying an outdoor happy hour situation, sandals pretty much cover all your summertime bases, which is why we're here to ensure your shoe collection is as up to date as possible.
Curious as to which sandal styles you should ditch to upgrade your wardrobe? I asked Who What Wear editors in the U.S. to name the outdated sandal trends they're breaking up with this summer, and of course, which trends you can find them wearing on repeat instead. Let's face it—we'll be wearing our sandals to death from now until September, so if you haven't found your ideal pair (or two or three pairs) yet, there's no better time than the present.
Ahead, see which sandal trends we're leaving and adopting this summer, and then shop each one we're here for.
Breaking up with: Bulky flatform sandals
Wearing instead: High-heel flip-flops
"Bulky flatform sandals are dead to me, but I've allowed high-heel flip-flops into my wardrobe this season (never thought I'd be saying that a couple of years ago)."
Shop her pick:
Breaking up with: Basic slides
Wearing instead: Detailed sandals
"This season, I'm hoping to skip basic slides in favour of anything a little more interesting. Think snakeskin, strappy or buckles."
Breaking up with: Sandals with ruffles
Wearing instead: Mid-heel sandals
"Just recently I got rid of a couple of pairs of sandals with ruffles on them. They feel a little girly and young at this point. Instead, I'll be opting for the midi heel sandals—a little taller than a kitten heel, but more walkable than a high heel."
Breaking up with: Espadrille sandals
Wearing instead: Strappy flats
"I'm putting my espadrilles on pause for the moment, and instead I'm wearing sleek strappy flats."
Breaking up with: Rubber flip-flops
Wearing instead: Lace-up sandals
"I totally am here for the flip-flop trend, but I have yet to wear my rubber ones and feel like I'm 100% pulled together. So I'll be putting those aside until further notice. Instead, I'm sticking to lace-up sandals."
Breaking up with: Crisscross slides
Wearing instead: Toe-hugging sandals
"I'm hitting pause on my simple crossover slides at the moment. The simple style is great to have on hand, so I won't be ditching them per se. Instead, I'm favouring toe-hugging sandals that offer a more interesting look."
Breaking up with: Light-coloured sandals
Wearing instead: Darker tones
"I was obsessed with white, mint and other light-coloured sandals last summer, but the hassle of keeping them sparkling clean got really old. This summer I think I’ll give myself a break and stick with sandals in darker, lower-maintenance colours that don’t show dirt and scuff marks as easily. I have a pair of H&M kitten-heeled sandals in basic black that have been serving me well!"
Speaking of summer shoes, London girls are all prioritizing these seven styles.
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Not Suede, Not Strappy—The Unexpected Style That’s Just Been Crowned Summer’s Chicest SandalIt has Jennifer Lawrence's seal of approval.
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Make Way, Make Way: These 7 “It” Sandals Are the Most Sought After of Summer 2025Start off the season on the right foot.
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Alexa Chung Just Found a New Sandal Trend That Makes "Boring" Black Skirts Feel So FreshMy black skirts are grateful.
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These High Street Sandals Already Sold Out Once—Now They're Back in a New Elevated ShadeI won't miss out again.
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Aged 35 or 56—Jennifer Aniston's Timeless Jeans-and-Sandals Pairing Always WorksAn enduring combo.
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Fashion People Have Worn These Low-Key, Affordable Sandals For Decades to Make Their Outfits Look CoolFlip-flop lovers, this one's for you.
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Sorry Birkenstock Bostons, This Is the Chic Sandal Stylish People Are Wearing Instead Right NowLife’s better in sandals.
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Jeans Don't Always Cut It—The Elegant Trouser-and-Shoe Combination Fashion People Are Wearing RNTake a page out of Hailey Bieber's style book.
