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When you reach the peak of summer, there are two things that are certain. 1) Nothing beats Jet2’s holidays. 2) Top sandal trends this season have brought a clear winner among the fashion crowd. Thong Sandal’s comeback has been made for years, but it officially has reached new heights as the most talked about shoe of the summer. However, the only style of nostalgia this season is not the only style to win center stage. All of the biggest sandal trends of the summer of 2025 have one thing in common. Touches of throwback energy with updated modern twists – from early-era heeled mules to designers, get your childhood jelly sandals.
Whether you’re following A-listers on your Euro summer vacation or scrolling through the warm weather feed of your fashion set, some important sandal trends were the best. Yes, the flip-flops lead the charging, upgraded with sophisticated leather finishes and height silhouettes, allowing you to feel far from the basics of the beach. But from the barely sandals adorned with sculptured gold hardware to the heel mule of the kitten, perfect for the revival of the lace-up style that acts as a modern gladiator, there’s even more influence from this season’s Y2K style.
With the end of summer coming soon (severe but true), these five fashion editor-approved sandal trends are worth slipping into before the season.
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Best Summer Sandals of 2025
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Flip Flop Sandals Trend
The flip-flop revival has been slowly building for a while thanks to being at the forefront of prices thanks to luxury fashion take from brands like The Row and Toteme. However, the thrown shoes quickly rose as sandals for the summer of 2025. Celebrities like Kylie Jenner, Jennifer Lawrence, Sabrina Carpenter and Haley Bieber have chosen every opportunity, from Yacht Ajacent Euro Summer Holiday to Daytime City to Paparazzi-snapped cities. And the fashion crowd supports the concept – you, A. From your favorite fashion brands like Emery and Reform, classic rubber flip-flops like Habaiana and the old Navy, from sophisticated leather styles to scrolling through your Instagram feed without seeing the insider look of almost every style topped with the season’s most talked about flip-flops. Summer’s most popular flip-flops range from the latest updates, such as a refined square toe silhouette and thick leather straps, to kitten heels that offer extra doses of Y2K energy and height.
Tony Bianco Ives Flip Flops

Tkees Square-Toe Lily Flip-Flops


Strap sandals trends
Think of modern gladiator sandals with a sexier and minimalist approach for summer trendy lace-up shoes. On the runways in spring 2025, this trend ranged from the modestly barely lace-up sandals on Proenza Schouler and Khaite to the Gladiator Sandals, who made the full statement of Dior and Isabel Marant. However, it was the former that took off as one of the hottest sandal trends of the summer, with refined leather lace-up sandals coming out on top. Think of streamlined, almost naked sandals that lace up around your ankles in neutral colorways and are versatile for styling from beachside vacations to summer nights. Brands like Larroudé and Margaux offer some of the outstanding takes of the season, with timeless leather silhouettes and pops of unexpected colors (and even the charm of a slightly playful shoe here and there).

Larroudé Nadia flat sandals in scarlet leather


Jelly sandals trends
My favorite childhood jelly sandals are back. There is an adult twist at the altitude of summer 2025. The designers give nostalgic shoes a luxurious refresh with a buzzy style that looks out of stock. After burning trends last summer, the jelly flats in the cages of the row are still monarchs (the stamp of Jennifer Lawrence’s approval last season didn’t hurt). However, on the runways in spring 2025, this trend continues in a new form, with Chloe introducing jellyton sandals in playful child core shades like baby pink and powder blue.
Elsewhere, brands like Melissa and ancient Greek sandals keep fisherman-style jelly down to two major trends at once with chic take. Veronica Beard adds a fashion forward edge with heeled jelly mule sandals, proving that the material can move from the beach to cocktail hour. And for those who channel the modest cool, Sofia Richie Graing insisted on a simple jelly flip-flop.

Melissa owns sandals


Vince Barcelona caged Jelly Mule
Trends in mule sandals with heels
From thick satchel bags to free-splitting aesthetics, Y2K fashion trends are coming back after the comeback. Aside from flip-flops, in the summer of 2025, it’s everywhere for heeled mule sandals. Bringing all the early outing energy, the heeled mule has been popping out all season with A-listers, from Emily Ratakowski and Haley Bieber to Kylie Jenner. From kitten heels to stilettos, there is a range of trendy heeled mule heights, but everything brings equal energy. We will stream matches of Sex and the city Style, the mule on the heels of kittens have popped out as night sandals this summer, pairing it with everything from a flon mini skirt to a slinky slip dress and capri pants. Whether you choose an animal print style to release a statement or a classic black leather approach, the brand has been offering all the options of backless sandals this season.


J.Crew x Rouje Jolie Square-Toe Heels

aeyde zebra print pony hair mules

Reformed Clementine Heeled Mule Sandals
From ring styles on the toe toe to sculpted gold hardware and studded details, the decorated sandals have become a staple of fashion sets this summer. Reflecting the energy of seasonal anklet trends, these sandals feature metallic accents and gorgeous finishes, offering a gem-like aesthetic that enhances your look. On the spring runway, the designers embraced the biggest approach. Gold hardware and toe decorations stood out in Giuseppe Zanotti and Todd as contrasts that would make a statement with minimalist footwear that dominates the recent season. Tory Burch has added a refined twist to minimalism, and for a hint of modest glamour, she upgraded her refined strappy sandals with elegant toe accents. Meanwhile, Bottega’s Beneta leaned completely against the richness, adorning the style of her toes with a chunky gold chain. Khaite took another route and offered a more bohemian edge with studded flat sandals that felt unexpectedly easy and easy to cool. Fashion Insider introduces the range of trends, with decorations appearing in summer dumps and snaps of everyday outfits.

Madewell Dessa Toe Ring Sandal

Lalaude Milano Flat Sandals in Beige Raffia

Tory Burch Pierced Multi Strap Heeled Sandal
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Meet the author
Lauren Alexis Fisher He is a senior style commerce editor for WWD and Footwear News, writing and editing stories of fashion, beauty and lifestyle. Previously, he was a senior editor at Cosmopolitan and a market editor at Harper’s Bazaar, overseeing digital content from fashion features to news and product reviews. With over a decade of experience as a digital fashion editor, she is an expert in scrutinizing the internet to shop for the biggest emerging brands, top-notch products and the latest trends.
Source: Shop – wwd.com
