7 Sandal Trends Our American Colleagues Aren't Wearing

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(Image credit: @laurenegg)

Welcome to high summer. By this time, your outfit rotation probably looks something like this: denim shorts (long, of course), simple vest tops and sandals—lots of sandals. When you're beelining to the nearest beach, strolling through the park or enjoying an outdoor happy hour situation, sandals pretty much cover all your summertime bases, which is why we're here to ensure your shoe collection is as up to date as possible.

Curious as to which sandal styles you should ditch to upgrade your wardrobe? I asked Who What Wear editors in the U.S. to name the outdated sandal trends they're breaking up with this summer, and of course, which trends you can find them wearing on repeat instead. Let's face it—we'll be wearing our sandals to death from now until September, so if you haven't found your ideal pair (or two or three pairs) yet, there's no better time than the present.

Ahead, see which sandal trends we're leaving and adopting this summer, and then shop each one we're here for.

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Breaking up with: Bulky flatform sandals

Wearing instead: High-heel flip-flops

"Bulky flatform sandals are dead to me, but I've allowed high-heel flip-flops into my wardrobe this season (never thought I'd be saying that a couple of years ago)."

Shop her pick:

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Breaking up with: Basic slides

Wearing instead: Detailed sandals

"This season, I'm hoping to skip basic slides in favour of anything a little more interesting. Think snakeskin, strappy or buckles."

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Breaking up with: Sandals with ruffles

Wearing instead: Mid-heel sandals

"Just recently I got rid of a couple of pairs of sandals with ruffles on them. They feel a little girly and young at this point. Instead, I'll be opting for the midi heel sandals—a little taller than a kitten heel, but more walkable than a high heel."

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Breaking up with: Espadrille sandals

Wearing instead: Strappy flats

"I'm putting my espadrilles on pause for the moment, and instead I'm wearing sleek strappy flats."

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Breaking up with: Rubber flip-flops

Wearing instead: Lace-up sandals

"I totally am here for the flip-flop trend, but I have yet to wear my rubber ones and feel like I'm 100% pulled together. So I'll be putting those aside until further notice. Instead, I'm sticking to lace-up sandals."

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Breaking up with: Crisscross slides

Wearing instead: Toe-hugging sandals

"I'm hitting pause on my simple crossover slides at the moment. The simple style is great to have on hand, so I won't be ditching them per se. Instead, I'm favouring toe-hugging sandals that offer a more interesting look." 

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Breaking up with: Light-coloured sandals

Wearing instead: Darker tones

"I was obsessed with white, mint and other light-coloured sandals last summer, but the hassle of keeping them sparkling clean got really old. This summer I think I’ll give myself a break and stick with sandals in darker, lower-maintenance colours that don’t show dirt and scuff marks as easily. I have a pair of H&M kitten-heeled sandals in basic black that have been serving me well!"

Speaking of summer shoes, London girls are all prioritizing these seven styles.

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Senior Editor

Anna is an editor on the fashion team at Who What Wear and has been at the company for over five years, having begun her career in the Los Angeles office before relocating to New York, where she's currently based. Having always been passionate about pursuing a career in fashion, she built up her experience interning at the likes of Michael Kors, A.L.C., and College Fashionista before joining the team as a post-graduate assistant editor. Anna has penned a number of interviews with Who What Wear's cover stars over the years, including A-listers Megan Fox, Issa Rae, and Emma Chamberlain. She's earned a reputation for scouting new and emerging brands from across the globe and championing them to our audience of millions. While fashion is her main wheelhouse, Anna led the launch of WWW Travels last year, a new lifestyle vertical that highlights all things travel through a fashion-person lens. She is passionate about shopping vintage, whether it be at a favorite local outpost or an on-the-road discovery, and has amassed a wardrobe full of unique finds. When she's not writing, you can find her shooting street imagery on her film camera, attempting to learn a fourth or fifth language, or planning her next trip across the globe.