8 Summer Shoe Trends That Are Taking Over the Fashion Capitals, From Paris to New York
There's a reason fashion girls are wearing these sandals, flats, and heels ahead of schedule.
As you begin planning your summer wardrobe, consider working from the feet up. The right summer shoe trend can help set the tone of your style for the season—whether you’ll tackle it the CBK way in a '90s thong sandal, with a look-at-me approach in a cherry red flat, or with a different strategy entirely. The leading shoes for Summer 2026 are a particularly smart starting point because designers zeroed in on eight distinct silhouettes, each with its own aesthetic and POV.
In their Pre-Fall 2026 collections, brands remixed shoe trends that have historically performed well and are rooted in timelessness. Case in point: the wide assortment of high-vamp flats. Simple V-neck flats appeared at Kallmeyer in crinkled gold leather, at Ganni in cherry red and studded, and again at Rag Bone in black mesh, a smart option for beach-bum days. Those who prefer no-frills footwear will be partial to the thin strappy sandals that drew on ‘90s minimalism; Fforme’s were flip-flops, Christopher Esber’s were kitten slingbacks, and Stella McCartney’s were three-strapped high heels, but each was easy to imagine Sarah Pidgeon wearing on FX’s Love Story.
Enough of the preamble. Ahead, we’ve highlighted eight of these distinct summer shoe trends that’ll put you in a position to start the season on the right foot. Your summer style refresh starts now.
A '90s Spirit
Fforme, Christopher Esber, Tove, Missoni, and Stella McCartney
There's a reason minimal black strappy sandals are an immortal summer staple. The neutral, no-brainer shoe works with almost any outfit combination you can think of: with capris à la Christopher Esber, with a dark midi dress at Fforme, or with formal eveningwear, as shown at Stella McCartney and Missoni.
High-Vamp Flats
Sea NY, Officine Générale, Kallmeyer, Ganni, TWP, Rachel Comey, and Rag Bone
Let's hear it for the not-so-humble anymore high-vamp flat. Platforming them for this summer was a smart move by the designers, given the shoe's whopping success this spring. As was rendering the fuller-coverage flat in more than just neutral leather; take a cue from Kallmeyer, Ganni, or TWP, and pick your favorite color or metallic, and go from there.
Cherry Bomb
TWP, Blumarine, Chanel, Stella McCartney, Ganni, and Carolina Herrera
No color can pack a punch quite like red. Designers are well aware of the shade's power and used it to their advantage across the Pre-Fall 2026 season. Chanel's cherry red and black cap-toe heels were instant hits among the fashion set—so much so that, during Paris Fashion Week, Chanel stores turned into Hunger Games, the luxury shopping edition. Elsewhere, pointed-toe pumps and open-back clogs in juicy red were a fine lesson on the art of the color pop.
Thick Flops
Simkhai, Rabanne, Rag Bone, and Staud
In direct contrast to the aforementioned '90s-era barely-there sandals, thick-strapped flip-flops also stepped into the Summer 2026 spotlight. Manifesting in puffy leather (Staud and Simkahi tie for the lead here) and chunky, close-to-the-foot straps (Rag Bone's Gracie pair is already selling out across retailers), designers were smart not to forget about shoppers who want a sandal with more of a statement.
Open Mules
Rachel Comey, Chanel, Staud, Ferragamo, Christopher Esber, Dior, and Magda Butrym
It's sun's-out, toes-out season—of course, designers will dream up every possible way to present pedicure-ready footwear. This time around, open-front mules join the likes of standard flip-flops and flat sandals. Dior's logoed leather pumps and Chanel's bejeweled two-strapped sandals are sure bets for seasonal front-runners. This category is also a great chance to test-drive the doll heel trend—Chloé's jelly mules are the perfect girly-girl starting point.
To a T
Chanel, Magda Butrym, Kallmeyer, No. 21, Heirlome, and Rachel Comey
Just as you can expect a slate of boots on fall runways, warm-weather collections always showcase a gamut of sandal trends that iterate on silhouette, materials, and aesthetic. Almost unanimously, brands decided T-strapped shapes deserved some love. High-heeled T-strapped sandals like Chanel and Rachel Comey's are perfect for a black-tie summer wedding, while a flat like Kallmeyer's will do you well on off-duty weekends.
Square Toe
Khaite, Maria McManus, Ferragamo, Sportmax, Dior
Sharp, angular, and a smidge subversive, square-toe silhouettes replace pointed and rounded styles this season. Keep it casual with a square-front sandal—both kitten-heeled and flat-to-the-ground work here—or opt for a professional ballet flat or slip-on mule you can integrate into a summer work outfit.
Kitten Wedge
Rachel Comey, Staud, Christopher Esber, The Row, and Ulla Johnson
Unlike the bohemian wooden wedge sandals that have clomped down recent runways at Chloé and Ulla Johnson, Summer 2026 drastically pares back the chock-heeled silhouette. The proposed wedges for this season are only one to three inches max off the ground, which places them firmly in the more demure category of kitten heels. Oh, and a welcome bonus from their redesign: this summer's low wedge sandals are easier to walk in than a '70s-inspired clog that can't handle cobblestone streets.
Why Trust Us
Emma Childs is Marie Claire’s fashion features editor with almost a decade of experience in the fashion industry. She focuses on in-depth trend reports and stories covering the intersection of style and human-interest storytelling. She analyzed hundreds of Pre-Fall 2026 runway shows to compile this breakdown of the season's top trends.
For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion, and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand
