The Best Summer Sandals (that are neutral & versatile)

A few months ago, I shared what sandals I was eyeing as the weather started to warm up and now and now that I’ve been wearing sandals for a while now, I wanted to share the ones I am loving and wearing the most. All of the options in this post are versatile enough to work with shorts, jeans or dresses.

My advice for sandal shopping boils down to three things: (1) A new pair needs to go with most things I already in my wardrobe. (2) It needs to be a timeless style if pricey and more affordable if trendier. And (3) sandals have to be comfortable. If you’re looking to splurge on something for a night out, go big with nice heels or a timeless heeled sandal. But for daily looks, simple, easy-to-wear, comfy sandals are a must. Sandals are typically on the cheaper side of shoes so it’s an easy way to spruce up your closet a bit. Note that I do have high arches but these styles all work well for me!

Okay, let’s get into this year’s options.

The Best Summer Sandals (that are neutral & versatile)

Best Minimalist Sandal: Dolce Vita Indy Sandal

The Indy Sandal has been my most-worn sandal this summer. The price point is great ($80, but currently on sale for $56) and they go with EVERYTHING. I love the braided straps, especially on this flat style. I had braided heeled sandals a few years ago and found they just weren’t flattering on my foot since the braid was bulky near where my ankle started. The design of these is much better because the braids aren’t too chunky.

I own these in the Caramel Stella color and ordered my usual size.

Best Flatform Sandal: Steve Madden Mona

My second most-worn pair of sandals so far this summer are the Mona Platforms by Steve Madden. Unfortunately, everyone else seems to love these too, so they are rarely in stock (at least in the simple tan color). I also saw a woman at church last week wearing the Bone color and it was really cute too! If you can get your hands on them, you will absolutely love how comfortable they are to wear all day, and that they’re just chic enough to feel cute and feminine without being dressy (in fact, they’re really casual). I wear a 6.5 in these and they fit perfectly. I love them with shorts!

You can add your email to the waitlist on Steve Madden’s website to wait for a restock of the tan color!

Best Flip Flops: TKEES

I bought these Tkees flip flops a year ago after hearing great things about them. I love that you can buy a color that matches your skin tone to flatter your feet. It’s surprising how much more feminine your feet look when these flip flops are in a similar skin tone to yours! I took these on our trip to Dominica, and wore them almost every day. Heads up: they are VERY flat. Like no support–zero. So keep that in mind!

I treat these as my pool or beach flip flops, but I don’t wear them much throughout the day other than that since I simply don’t love flip-flops as an everyday option. (And I really don’t love the word thongs when it refers to shoes, ha!) But whatever you call them, these are high-quality enough that you absolutely can wear them with your daily outfits if you like the flip flop style, which is why I’m still including them in the round-up.

TKEES run true to size, and they’re only $55. I ordered them directly from TKEES since they always seem to be sold out everywhere else.

Best Strappy Flat Sandal: RAYE Siam Sandal

I got these lace up sandals from Revolve earlier this year and LOVE them. They take a minute or two to put on since you can’t slip them on like the sandals linked above, but they’re fun and trendy and different than the other shoes in my closet. They’re pricer than the sandals above, so if you love the look but not the price tag, you may like this Amazon pair. They aren’t real leather but they don’t look cheap, like some fake leather sandals. I ordered my usual size.

Best Basic Slide: Sam Edelman Bay Slide Sandal

I got these slide sandals last year as well, and I love them since they are the perfect mix of style and comfort. They have a genuine leather upper with a cushioned footbed that makes them a great option to wear all day (which I do). The cutouts also allow for breathability, which I very much appreciate in the hot, humid Southern summers. These look a little bit like the very pricey Hermes Oran slides, but are much more affordable at $120. I wear these with dresses, shorts, and jeans and they’re very comfortable right out of the box, like all my Sam Edelman shoes. They run true to size.

Best Platform Heeled Sandal: Sam Edelman Suzanna Platform Sandals

I hunted for a while for a pair of leather platform heels. I wanted the chunky, trendy style, but I also wanted them to be in a classic color I’d wear often. These have been the PERFECT summer heel. I wear them with straight leg jeans, which tones them down a bit, and with dresses when I’m heading to dinner or church. I’m 5’1″, so the extra height is never “too much” for me, but they do give you quite a boost, so keep that in mind if you’re taller! They are shockingly comfortable and easy to walk in. They don’t do half sizes and I’m a 6.5, so I went down to a size 6.

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