Light on Your Feet
I got to work and found 47 pairs of summer-appropriate shoes I love (and only 15 are sandals!).
Summer footwear can be a struggle. The other seasons take less effort, with easy, versatile loafers, sneakers, and boots providing support and coverage. But when summer arrives, it can feel like sandals are the only appropriate option.
I'm not a fan of how my feet look in open-toed shoes, so I limit my use of sandals. Whether you share my toe woes or not, it's time we expanded our horizons beyond sandals for summer. I've discovered some styles I love and have developed some styling tips for them, categorized by Silhouette type (Palm, Cypress, and Evergreen).
Some of these styles are trendy, which I tend to avoid because trendy items often speak more to the market than your personal style. But while they're currently trendy, they are also classic and versatile, many returning from the past.
The Jelly Shoe
As a child, I wore my drugstore jellies to death. I was thrilled to find a wide range of options available in adult sizes (many of which are vintage), which goes beyond the pair from The Row, which I noticed was recently restocked (although I've heard they're prone to breaking). While The Row's version comes with a hefty price tag of $890, jelly shoes were originally a post-WW2 affordable shoe option, made popular by the French brand Jelly Shoes in the 1980s (FN). A little history lesson on jellies!
I can vouch for the quality and comfort of Ancient Greek Sandals' styles. They have an entire Jellies shop that I recommend exploring. Their newest style, The Elli Ballerina, is my favorite. I wore them for a full day on set for a photoshoot and even comfortably walked 21k steps in them.
Jellies can be paired with summer pants to make the pants more elegant (Contradistinction Technique) in the Cypress Silhouette. They also complement full skirts, dresses, or baggy bottoms in the Evergreen Silhouette. My favorite footwear with the Palm Silhouette is a light touch like a ballet flat, so the similar silhouette of jellies offers a perfect balance of femininity and versatility.
I must caution against jelly shoes on a hot day with a fresh pedicure!
The Mesh Flat
I bought these red mesh flats one morning when I was frustrated with my options for red summer shoes (←you might wonder about this statement as you read on and find three pairs I already owned below). They're $54.99 and shockingly comfortable. I wore them for an hour-long Therapy Walk without a blister or discomfort.
Popularized by The Row (shocker!) and then Khaite with their "sock" styles, I love mesh flats because they aren't full coverage (like a traditional ballet flat) and are light and airy enough to wear comfortably in the heat.
Like jelly shoes, mesh flats look good with all three Silhouettes. I like the light/nude colors (though I love my red ones and the green style above for statement summer shoes that aren't bulky). I prefer styles without a strap across the foot. The strap makes them Mary Janes, which are fussier, and one of the beautiful aspects of mesh flats, to me, is that they are very minimal.
The “Champion”
This category is a single style: Keds Champions Originals Canvas Sneaker (also in limited sizing here). I first fell in love with this sneaker's lightweight, slim silhouette when I watched Dirty Dancing in my friend's car at nine years old. They are graceful, feminine sneakers that are comfortable to slip on daily, even without a sock. I love them with denim shorts, like how Baby wears them in the movie. I'm particularly fond of the red and navy ones, which I've added to my rotation. AND!!! They come in four widths: slim, medium, wide, and extra-wide.
With a slightly pointed toe and slim body, Keds Champions Originals have feminine and dainty elements that don't add the bulk most sneakers do. They make an Evergreen Silhouette's skirt or dress more casual and wearable, they keep a Cypress Silhouette's trousers cool but not sloppy (though very important: I find Keds pair much better with slim pants rather than wide!), and they make a Palm Silhouette's mini skirts or shorts playful with an element of preppiness.
The Sandal
Just because I don't want to be constrained to sandals daily doesn't mean I'm anti-sandals! However, they can be hard to get right. They can make an outfit look instantly like Summer Camp, in a bad way. The above styles won't do that, especially when styled right. I found a bunch with toe coverage if you're like me and prefer not to show your feet!
I also contributed some additional women’s (and men’s!) picks to WSJ, focusing on walkability because who wants to take the subway in the summer?
Get your summer shoes on and get out there! It's 85 and sunny, so I'm about to take yet another Therapy Walk in one of the styles above.
Have a great rest of your weekend!
xo
Eliz
I am so conflicted on the jellies! Do your feet get sweaty? I feel like my feet are prone to sweating which is what causes blisters against plastic shoes
Relevant! To! My! Interests! I love a lightweight shoe. I just want to wear lightweight little shoes year-round.
Also I am lovvvvvingggg the shorter hair!! I know you talked about the haircut panic in your Therapy Walk post, but it is so good! Maybe I'm biased: I chopped my own hair to chin length about six months ago and I've loved it as a choice. It's so fun to be like, "Well how will this outfit look with shorter hair?? What about this one?? And this one??"