9 Shoes All the California Girls Are Wearing

If you're more interested in what California girls are wearing than usual lately, there's a reason. Given these unprecedented times we're living in, the laid-back, casual California-girl aesthetic is very relevant, and it's no wonder that people are seeking them out for comfortable-cool outfit inspiration. Being a big shoe person myself, what my eyes have been gravitating toward is their shoes.

Unlike the shoe selections of, say, NYC girls, where the amount of walking and the weather can be limiting, California girls are more likely to get around via car (and we know what the weather is like there comparatively), so their shoe options are more varied. This is why I'm especially intrigued by the shoe styles that they gravitate toward. If you have the same itch to do some shoe shopping lately as I do, I did the work for you.

Keep scrolling to find out which 9 shoe styles I keep spotting on Cali girls, and shop my favorite pairs for each.

Cowboy Boots

Even though it's summer, cowboy boots have never been more popular among California girls. Their chosen pairing is with a dress.

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(Image credit: @em_tong)

Minimalist Sandals

If you're looking for shoes that go with literally everything, opt for an L.A.-girl favorite: skin-baring flat sandals.

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(Image credit: @tylynnnguyen)

Birkenstocks

We're lucky that not only are Birkenstock's comfortable, they're wildly popular and give any outfit that coveted California-girl "vibe".

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(Image credit: @joiedejude)

Platforms

This year especially, platforms have taken off out West. They're great for making jeans look more forward.

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(Image credit: @jen_wonders)

High-Heel Flip-Flops

This hasn't been a big year for heels, for obvious reasons, but high-heel flip-flops were one of the only heel trends to really take off this summer, and California girls can't get enough.

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(Image credit: @stellasimona)

Sporty Sandals

Like Birkenstocks, sporty sandals offer comfort and a cool, sporty look that's very 2020.

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(Image credit: @raeannlangas)

Metallic Sandals

One of the prettiest styles on this list, metallic sandals in any form easily dress an outfit up without really trying. And they look great in that California sunshine.

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(Image credit: @madelynnfurlong)

Converse Hi-Tops

Sneakers and California girls go hand-in-hand, but if you want to get specific, put on a pair of Converse hi-tops to really channel them.

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(Image credit: @aimeesong)

Toe-Ring Sandals

Like high-heel flip-flops, toe-ring sandals are a once-controversial style that's now mainstream. There are tons of them on the market right now, proving their popularity.

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(Image credit: @taniasarin)

Next up, the controversial shoe trend that's suddenly everywhere.

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Allyson Payer
Senior Editor

Allyson is a senior editor for Who What Wear. She joined the company in 2014 as co-founder Katherine Power's executive assistant and over the years has written hundreds of stories for Who What Wear. Prior to her career in fashion, Allyson worked in the entertainment industry at companies such as Sony Pictures Television. Allyson is now based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She holds a BFA in theater. Her path to fashion may not have been linear, but based on the number of fashion magazines she collected as a child and young adult, it was meant to be.