At long last, open-toe season has arrived. It’s time to book that pedicure appointment and peruse the new arrivals section for your new favorite pair of sandals. To aid your shopping expedition, we’re outlining the season’s most popular styles.
The tl;dr: Sandal trends on the spring/summer 2025 runways ranged from grown-up flip-flops and jelly shoes to boho gladiators and gorp-y corded silhouettes. Chocolate brown and cherry red remained key color choices for strappy sandals and heels, followed closely by animal prints like snake and leopard. Suede also stood out as a popular material choice for everyday slides. Explore these trends and more below.
Fisherman Sandals
Prepare for a particularly preppy, nautical summer. From Breton stripes at Proenza Schouler to sailor hats at Moschino, seaside attire was a frequent source of inspiration for designers. Fisherman sandals (and boat shoes) were also popular, appearing at Michael Kors, Simone Rocha, and more. Far from rugged, this season’s offering centers on city-ready silhouettes that pair well with scrunched socks and sleek office separates.
Prada Logo Fisherman Sandal
Freda Salvador Sera Fisherman Sandal
Dr. Martens Wrenlie Fisherman Sandals
G.H.Bass Fisherman Sandal
Hereu Pesca Block Heel Fisherman Sandal
Dark Cherry
Ripe, juicy red hues appeared all over spring/summer 2025 runways at Balmain, Bottega Veneta, and Victoria Beckham, helping the color’s popularity skyrocket over the past few months. From strappy heels to sport sandals, this spring’s dark cherry footwear makes the perfect complement to the burgundy bags, knits, and statement coats you’ve likely accumulated recently.
Dark red also remained a key color trend on fall/winter 2025 runways, further proving the rich shade is worth investing in now.
Alohas Harper Leather Sandals
Reformation Gen Heeled Sandal
Gucci Sandal With Double G
Madewell The Neeka Ankle-Strap Heeled Sandal
Loewe Petal Belt Flat Sandal
Animal Print
In the Year of the Snake (and of leopard jeans), why stick to boring black or brown when you can add a pop of personality to your outfits with animal print sandals? The footwear trend continued on fall/winter 2025 runways at Duran Lantink, Nina Ricci, Roberto Cavalli, and others, so you’re sure to get plenty of use out of the Saint Laurent leopard kitten heels or strappy Khaite python sandals you pick up this spring. For something slightly out of the ordinary, try Tory Burch’s T-strap zebra-print slides.
Khaite Loop Flat Sandal
Saint Laurent Jill Mules in Leopard
Margaux The Flat Sandal
Reformation Leopard Winnie Peep Toe Heeled Mule
Thong Sandals
After years of steady popularity, thong sandals remain a dominant shoe trend for spring/summer 2025. Everyday flip-flops have been subtly enhanced with square toes, kitten heels, and supple leather straps, making for vacation-ready footwear that can transition straight from the beach to the bar.
While quiet luxury cornerstones like The Row and Toteme stuck to tradition, trendsetters like Miu Miu broke the mold with thong-strapped open-toed sneakers and Mary-Janes. Elsewhere, Christian Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Etro made a compelling case for baring toes year-round with knee-high thong sandal-boots.
Bottega Veneta Marella Thong
The Row City Flip Flop in Leather
Toteme Kitten Heel Flip Flop
Tkees Square Toe Lily Flip Flops
Staud Freja Thong Kitten Heels
Woven and Knotted
This season, leather straps, nylon cording, and raffia ribbons were looped, knotted, and tied into crafty slingbacks, mules, and slides at Bottega Veneta, Burberry, Jil Sander, The Attico, and more. Miu Miu’s corded hiking sandals signal the emerging trend may take an outdoorsy turn in the coming months, so snatch them while you can.
Coconuts by Matisse Brooklyn Mesh Mule
Miu Miu Nastro Cord Sandal
Jil Sander Woven Pumps
Marion Parke Sabrina Flat
St. Agni Woven Rope Slides
Gladiator Sandals
1970s staples like paisley dresses, suede jackets, and hobo bags have slowly snuck their way back into our wardrobes. Now, it’s time for gladiator sandals to complete the boho comeback. Summer’s key style is a minimalist, flat-soled silhouette accented with delicate leather foot straps and ankle ties—a walkable look that'll boast a lived-in patina by the end of beach season.
While Khaite and Johanna Ortiz stuck to understated straps, other designers chose to make more of a statement. Ultra-thin straps were crisscrossed and buckled knee-high at Isabel Marant and Christian Dior, and metallic gladiators were embellished with colorful, chakra-inspired stones at Gianvito Rossi.
Margaux The Wrap Sandal
Gianvito Rossi Shanti Embellished Leather Sandals
Bernardo Hero Gladiator Sandal
Ancient Greek Sandals Satira Sandal
Kurt Geiger London Regent Buckled Gladiator Sandal
Chocolate Brown
Yes, everyone is still obsessed with chocolate brown. Like desserts themselves, we can’t get enough of creamy caramel and rich mocha brown hues. As temperatures rise, swap your dark brown boots and loafers for a pair of similarly-colored sandals. Whether you choose platform Loewe clogs or sleek Fendi logo slides, they’ll make an especially chic complement to that chartreuse item you’ve never known how to style.
Loewe Ease Heel
A.Emery Jalen Suede Sandals
Fendi Signature Logo Slide Sandal
Loeffler Randall Jack Espresso Studded Sandal
Vagabond Shoemakers Effie Slide Sandal
Jelly Shoes
After successfully reimagining childhood favorites like Mary Janes and ballet flats, footwear designers are giving jelly shoes the same nostalgic treatment. The Row’s jelly flats flew off shelves last summer after being spotted on Jennifer Lawrence, so expect similar styles like Vince and Tory Burch’s caged jelly mules to sell out just as fast this season.
Or, revisit your youth with a pair of colorful fisherman jelly sandals that tap into multiple footwear trends at once—will it be Freda Salvador’s PVC sandals with pressed flowers, Loeffler Randall’s glittery, embellished jellies, or Simone Rocha’s latest Crocs collab?
Vince Barcelona Jelly Cage Mule
Melissa Dance Slingback Platform Sandal
Veronica Beard Tia Jelly Sandal
Ancient Greek Sandals Homeria Jelly
Tory Burch Mellow Mary Jane Jelly
Suede
Tactile suede materials are trending across outerwear, handbags, belts, and, yes, footwear—fashioned onto everything from minimalist slide sandals to mid-century-inspired kitten heels, boho clogs, and sky-high platforms. If you’re looking to replace a worn-out summer staple, like the ever-popular Birkenstock Arizona, try an elevated suede version in an unexpected hue.
Gia Borghini Julia Sandal
Anonymous Copenhagen Hermine Sandals
Pedro Garcia Umita Sandal
