With summer comes ample opportunities to explore the great outdoors, pack our bags for summer vacation and book up our social calendars with weddings, showers and plenty of time with friends and family. And with those aforementioned outings – you can make them more enjoyable with the right shoe for your outfit.  

My shoe philosophy is always to go for equal parts stylish and comfortable. This post is all about rounding up summer inspired shoes that you can wear for a variety of different outdoor activities during the warm weather in summer while also ensuring you have a collection that works for an endless amount of summer outfits.

It’s also important to remember that when it comes to shoes – you often get what you pay for. I invest in shoes because I wear the same pairs over and over again and I want them to hold up to lots of wear and be comfortable. I’d rather summer footwear I pay more for the quality at the onset and can wear for season after season after season vs. a cheap shoe that I’ll have to retire after three month’s of wear.

Best Summer Shoes For Women

The Go-with Everything Summer H Sandal

Everyone needs a sandal that they can throw on and go. A timeless slide sandal will be easily dressed up or dressed down and I find investing in quality leather slide sandals is always worthwhile. I find my Hermes Oran sandals to be that sandal and I love how the shoe molds to your foot over time.

If you’re not ready for an investment sandal, I recommend this pair and this pair that will fit the bill without breaking the bank. (As an aside, I find Talbots shoes to be so well made and so well priced! The pairs I’ve owned are super comfortable and hold up well).

Related: How to Dress for Paris in the Summer

The Go-with Everything Sneaker

My Common Projects Achilles sleek white sneakers are my most worn shoe of summer. I pair them with dresses, with skirts, with jeans and with denim shorts and in the years of wearing them, they’ve held up so well with constant mileage put on them.

If you’re looking for an affordable pair that’ll go with everything, I recommend these Madewell sneakers, these Sezane Jack sneakers, or the Veja sneakers seen below. 

I am truly never without these shoes when I travel for summer trips in particular. I think they are the best travel sneaker. I keep them looking new by regularly cleaning them with a magic eraser. It helps clean up my favorite white sneaker in a snap every time!

Espadrille Wedges

My espadrille wedges are some of my most worn summer shoes. They go with pretty much everything – jeans, dresses, shorts, skirts – I reach for them time and time again because they are as comfortable as they are chic. Espadrilles have been around for centuries and are timeless classic shoes for a reason! 

I have a neutral ivory pair that gets the most wear and I also own a pair in black as well. f you tend to wear a lot of colors and prints, I’d recommend buying a pair in a bright pop of color for an extra fun personality statement. This brand is my favorite. They feel like walking on clouds!

Sezane makes some cute espadrilles, too.

Not a fan of wedges? Opt for a flat espadrille instead. Wearing a pair with the classic ankle-tie also elongates your leg. I like this timeless pair. 

Sporty Sneakers

My Golden Goose sneakers are my go-to sporty sneakers all year round and especially during summer. I reach for them so often because they are so comfortable and add the right amount of edge to more feminine dresses, tailored dresses like shirt dresses and I love wearing them with lighter colored jeans and with my favorite denim cut offs. 

Converse

Summer staples, my Converse all star sneakers are always in rotation as another sporty sneaker option to pair with dresses and denim.

And did you know you can customize a pair down to every detail!? I love that you can make any color combo your heart desires!

Strappy Flat Sandals

I’m not a personal fan of wearing flip flops or thong sandals with my outfits – I leave those for beach and pool wear only as I find them too casual. Instead, I opt for strappy flat sandals. They appear more put together and just look more stylish in my opinion. 

If you prefer something more casual and not in a metallic leather, a beautiful flat leather sandal with an ankle wrap like this pair by Margaux is a great style that you’ll be able to dress up or dress down. Or if you prefer no ankle wrap try this style by Margaux.

I also own this affordable two strap pair that I don’t wear lots but are good for pool and beach days. Related: My Best Amazon Fashion Purchases to Date.

The Metallic Flat Sandal

In my search last summer for a good pair of “dressier” sandals, I landed on these strappy sandals with only the slightest heel. They are that perfect sandal unicorn that they can either go dressy or be more casual as I styled them above. 

The above pair is no longer in stock but are from Ancient Greek Sandals which is one of my favorite sandal brands.

Strappy Low Heeled Sandal

Prefer a heel? I like this pair and this pair of strappy block heeled sandals. Shown above: wearing this pair.

The Dressed Up Flat Sandal

I love sandals that have special details like ruffles, bowls or pearls to make a flat sandal a bit more dressy. You get comfort without sacrificing feeling too dressed down. Loeffler Randall is my go-to for sandals that feel extra special.

Another great idea for a dressed up sandal? Gold leather sandals! I love this pair – the braided detail really makes it dressy! Flat version here.

Slingbacks

Kitten heel slingbacks are a go-to for me because they are nearly season-less. You can wear them all spring summer and well into Fall. I wear my Chanel slingbacks constantly and in the summer they pair perfectly with breezy dresses.

Here and here are more affordable alternatives to the Chanel style seen above.

Block Heel Ankle Strap Sandals

This block heel Stuart Weitzman heel is my go-to wedding shoe. They’ve been in my closet for over seven years now and remain one of my most comfortable, easy to style shoe that I own. 

I have a similar pair in black, too that I always reach for during summer wedding season to pair with little black dresses. They are more comfortable for long periods of wear than a stiletto and yet look just as dressy. 

The ankle strap also helps elongate the leg!

Another similar style with a lower heel I like are those by Sarah Flint seen here:

If you’d like a more decorative block strappy sandal, I recommend the Margaux City Sandal or the Sarah Flint Perfect Block Sandal which both feature beautiful detailing like cross straps or feminine leather strap details. If you need a low heel block sandal, I recommend Sarah Flint’s Perfect Block Sandal in 30mm. I find all of Sarah Flint’s shoes to be super comfortable! 

Ballet Flats

Ballet flats are another season-less shoe that you’ll get so much wear out of. I love having pairs in a variety of neutrals like the Chanel two-tone ballet flats but I also think a pair in a summery color like pale pink is a great option.

Margaux makes some of my favorite ballet flats and they come in a wide assortment of colors.

Related: Ballet Flats Outfit Ideas

They are the perfect option when you want to wear a closed toe shoe during warmer months and I think ballet flats look great with summer dresses and also I love the juxtaposition of them paired with denim cut offs or more casual distressed jeans.

Birkenstocks

While Birkenstock Arizona sandals aren’t usually my style, I keep a pair around as they are a great throw-on-and-go errand shoe. They’re comfortable and go with everything so in the summer months, you’ll often find my pair sitting in my foyer for days I’m running errands in the neighborhood.

The Platform Heel

This new pair in my collection was a bit out of my comfort zone but they are so fun. They are a suede sandal which makes them great well into Fall which I love. The heel was comfortable and the subtle gold woven detail makes these perfect to dress up just ever so much. Shop the rest of my look above here.

Flip Flops

For beach and pool days in the summer, there’s nothing better than the old flip flop standby. Tkees makes my favorite comfy pairs.

Toe Wrap Sandal

An elegant take on the flat sandal. Seen above: this pair.

The Woven Flat Sandal

My other pair of designer sandals get loads of wear when I want a black flat sandal are my YSL Tribute Sandals. Comfy and with a beautiful woven front design, these are an elegant and yet comfy way to wear a flat sandal. I sized up half a size in this pair.

For another go-to black pair of sandals to add to my rotation, I just picked up this pair by Marc Fisher.

The Croc Embossed Sandal

This pair by Emme Parsons I scored during a recent Shopbop Sale has me sold on the brand. They are beautifully made and now I can’t wait to shop more shoes from the brand. This pair is high on my wish list now.

A croc embossed material instantly elevates these sandals to be really chic.

I got the black but they come in a few colors.

The Metallic Heeled Sandal

So often I think we think of a gold or a silver heeled sandal as a wedding shoe but I also love it for other dressier occasions. I wore this pair by Loeffler Randall to a night out in Vegas last year. And I love the beautiful strap detail and ankle wrap. Loeffler Randall remains one of my very favorite shoe brands for over a decade at this point. My exact pair is sold out but I have a feeling they will bring them back. In the meantime, they have so many beautiful heeled sandals on their site right now.

If you prefer to have a block heel, I like the City Sandal by Margaux in their beautiful silver and gold metallic offerings.

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I hope you love the options to choose from that I shared here! Do you have a style that you’d add to the list? I’d love to hear about it! I also recommend ordering more than one size when you pick out a shoe to purchase – it’ll ensure you can test two sizes to find the perfect fit.

As you break in any new shoes, you may want to consider stocking up on these Blister BandAids. They are life savers in case you run into any blisters.

Want to make your shoes last longer? Have a cobbler add protective rubber soles to them! I’ve been doing this for years and it makes all my investment shoes last years and years despite loads of wear.

You May Also Like:

• The Best Shoes to Own for Fall & Winter.
• Sandal Styles Worth Buying.
• Dresses for Wedding Guests.

 

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