As much as I love to accessorise my Phoebe Philo wedge flip-flops with brat-green Miu Miu plasters (I keep a stock in my handbag), wincing with every step because your feet have been shredded by a pair of summer very brat. Nope, there isn’t enough Compeed in the northern hemisphere to justify painful hiking slides or razor sharp “naked” strappy flats that slice through your feet like cheese wire. It’s 2024, our shoes need to us.
They need to – at an absolute minimum – be fit for purpose. They absolutely shouldn’t leave you wanting to saw your own toes off with a nail file rather than sprint to catch the Heathrow Express. I can’t believe I’m about to write this, but, dear reader I learnt the hard way: summer sandals that look pretty but could double as a medieval torture tool are not worth your hard-earned money.
(Dents in your bank account heal less quickly than a blister on the sole of your feet, believe me.) In pursuit of the comfortable, chic sandal, I conducted a survey among editors within yelling distance of my desk (because my feet hurt too much to walk across the room, and I’m kinda done with email until 1 September) – imploring them to share the flat summer sandals which gets them through the working week, a Mediterranean vacation, and a cute dinner date. Here’s what they had to say.
.. Laura Hawkins, fashion features editor “For the last decade, I’ve worn nothing but a chunky, hiking-inspired strap sandal, which I habitually wear until it .