The 9 spring/summer 2026 shoe trends to know (and shop) now

Spring/summer '26 is not a season for the faint-hearted shopper. It is a season for commitment to summer shoe trends slightly outside of our comfort zones. To a jelly sandal that will almost certainly cause a blister before August. Or a modern clog, like Bottega Veneta's bastardisation of the nostalgic ABBA-approved style. Or bows and fabric flowers so large that it seems almost structurally impossible.

If we're being honest, our shopping desk was thinkign of Bratz dolls when we first saw the shoes on the runways. The fisherman sandals, the wedge thongs, the jelly heels from Chloé in colours that belong in a Polly Pocket set. We had Brat summer in 2024. Now, we propose Bratz summer 2026. We think these Y2K-coded styles are going to be on everyone's mood board by the time midsummer actually arrives, and we are not complaining.

Elsewhere, things got romantic in the most overzealous way possible. Jonathan Anderson sent bows and fabric flowers down the Dior runway with such conviction that our shopping desk immediately started rethinking our entire shoedrobes. Celine, meanwhile, made the case for glove shoes. Arguably the sleekest thing you can put on your feet this summer, and the minimalist antidote to every other trend on this list. And then there is raffia, which arrives every year without fail. A tried-and-tested and (crucially) trusted compatriot for sweltering summer days.

Below, the eight trends worth knowing and the styles to shop now.

Chloé leads the charge here, but the jelly shoe is bigger than any one runway this season. We are seeing every style imaginable: woven jelly flats, jelly fisherman sandals (a two-in-one trend that sparks childhood joy every time we see it), and the kind of Polly Pocket-coloured mules that have no business being this cute.

Practically speaking, jellies are a superb addition to any suitcase headed for a pebbly beach. Surprisingly, they are equally at home in the city with faded 501 denim and a slouchy suede bag. That said, the blister factor is real. The blisters, we have decided, are worth it. There is also the option to make socks part of your styling, particularly when they can be glimpsed through a mesh jelly upper. One word of caution before you shop: size up. Jelly will not stretch the way leather does, and your feet expand in the heat.

Wedge sandals (specifically wedge thong heels) are another style transporting us straight to the naughty noughties. Posh Spice, is that you? Let's make one thing clear though: these are not your raffia espadrilles. These are sleek, sexy, and probably the most comfortable event shoe you will slip into this summer.

The leather wedge, honestly, a shoe for everyone and every occasion. It is the sort of heel that works at the office with a tailored trouser and an oversized shirt and a summer soirée with a silk slip and a skinny scarf. Truth be told, even an afterwork with denim bermuda shorts and a going-out top are on the cards here. The only thing worth considering before you buy: if going the thong route, pay attention to strap width. Slimmer straps are more flattering, but can be uncomfortable. Wider ones are comfortable, but can cut the foot in an awkward way.

The fisherman sandal has been a slow burn since The Row and Gabriela Hearst first made caged leather sandals the most covetable shoes on the market. For SS26, the style has fully arrived, arguably becoming the catch of the season. Lemaire leads from the menswear side, and JW Anderson's suede styles are the most covetable of the lot (if slightly impractical).

The version we are most excited about is made from weathered leather, made for summers spent on craggy archipelago cliffs, skipping from boat to boat in a sartorially savvy bosun sort of way. Wear yours with nautical Breton stripes and washed-out wide-leg denim. Or, if you dare, dip your toe into the jelly iteration. Consider it the more exuberant cousin of this specific style.

As little detail as possible is the brief behind summer's most versatile shoe: the glove shoe. A clean line from toe to ankle, perhaps a thin lace-up at most, and minimalist houses like Celine and Toteme have followed it to the letter. Wear them with wide cotton skirts, slip dresses, or impeccably cut trousers. Anything, really, because the glove shoe is seemingly indifferent to what sits above it.

The secret to its versatility lies in the kind of woman it is made for. She is someone who lives in that constantly dressy middle ground where every piece in her wardrobe is impeccably put together and ready for whatever the day requires, whether that is a board meeting, impromptu nuptials, or a long Friday lunch. Her personal style transcends occasion, and so does her shoe of choice.

To call the kitten heel a trend feels almost reductive. How can a heel height be de jour or not? And yet, summer 2026 has generated enough buzz around the silhouette that it has earned its place on this list. Perhaps it is the love affair the fashion industry is currently having with the 1980s. The glove pump and the kitten heel are, after all, two sides of the same Working Girl coin.

The case for wearing one is simpler than it sounds: even the shortest heel boost improves your posture and has a way of pulling together almost any outfit. Cargo trousers, for example take on an unexpected Aguilera femininity with a strappy kitten heel (yes you can wear flip-flops to dinner now). Or take that silky slip skirt. It sits especially well with a cashmere sweater and a slingback.

It started with Alaïa's fishnet flats, a style so specific it seemed destined for a single season. And yet here we are in summer 2026, and mesh has not only survived but expanded into something altogether more wearable. The Row's mesh ballet flats, COS's baby pink mules with the tiniest heel, and Stine Goya's Copenhagen-coded iterations areal proof that this is no longer a one-brand, one-silhouette story.

There is something almost paradoxically exposing about a mesh shoe. More so, somehow, than a flip-flop or a strappy sandal which both leave far less to the imagination. We cannot entirely put our finger on why a mesh flat feels more naked, but the sheer upper draws the eye in a way that bare skin simply does not. Which means a good pedicure isn't optional. It is, for the duration of this trend, a wardrobe essential.

The comeback of clogs has been building since the entire Chloé front row showed up in the same platform style back in 2024 (Alexa Chung included) and Miu Miu soo followed suit with their open-toe version in suede styled with tiny branded socks. For SS26, Bottega Veneta has taken things in a more unexpected direction with elongated pointed toes that have no business making us feel this way about a shoe. Specifically, a wooden one.

In Scandinavia, we never really let our clogs go. Hardy soles have always made sense at the summer house, and the Birkenstock Boston is what we consider a Nordic wardrobe staple by now. In fact, our shopping desk of two collectively owns five pairs and considers the modern clog's place on this list reason enough to expand further.

Truth be told, loafers are another style that barely belong in a trend report. They are, after all, always in style in one form or another. What earns them a place on this list is what is happening to the silhouette for SS26: scrunched loafers, backless loafers, soft loafers. Sleeker, more supple, and considerably more summer-friendly than the chunky-soled rigid versions that have dominated for the past few seasons.

The breaking-in process has long been the loafer's greatest deterrent. Alongside Dr. Martens boots, few shoes demand as much patience before they can be worn comfortably all day. The backless iteration circumvents this entirely: No heel counter means no blisters, no compeed plasters, and no three-week acclimatisation period.

Related: Can you wear socks with loafers? In 2026, you absolutely should

SS26 has no shortage of occasions that call for a special shoe. Weddings, midsummer celebrations, and never-ending spontaneous evenings, to name a few. Flower heels and bow heels are, we would argue, made precisely for these moments. We never fancied ourselves particularly romantic until we saw Jonathan Anderson's Dior SS26 and Haute Couture collections, which sent fabric roses and true-to-life lily pad heels down the runway with enough conviction to make us reconsider our relationship with floral footwear.

The bow is a subtler entry point into the same sentiment – dainty and delicate where the flowers are overzealous, and all the more charming for it. We are particularly taken with bow heels in pastoral prints: gingham especially, which has no right to work as well as it does on a kitten heel. Wear either with the kind of dress you have been saving for a special occasion, or, if you are feeling brave, with something deliberately underdressed.