My Favorite Sandals For Summer 2025

35 options, from flip-flops to fisherman sandals, and everything in between.

Welcome to Shoesday, a weekly column, sent every Tuesday, about shoes.

Hope you’ve gotten that pedicure, because toes-out, sandal season is officially here. Now, the question of where you should wear your sandals is one that’s still hotly debated in menswear circles, but I’ll get my take out of the way now: I tend to fall on the “do whatever you want” side.

To me, if you’re bold enough to wear rubber flip-flops on the uptown train, I won’t stop you. (I can’t, however, speak for your boss.) Now personally, I prefer something with a little more substance—like a leather slide with a cushy footbed or a closed-toe huarache with a rubber sole—when I’m hoofing it around the city. But at the end of the day, it’s summer. If ever there was a time to chill out on sartorial rules, it’s now.

Below, I’ve broken the wide world of sandals down into six distinct categories—ranging from full foot exposure to closed-toe (but still breathable) styles. They are as follows: Flip-Flops, Slides, Slingbacks, Fisherman Sandals, Sport Sandals, and Huaraches. I’ve also gone ahead and selected one style from each category as my “Top Pick,” which in 4/6 cases means it’s a shoe that I personally own and can put my strongest endorsement behind.

Together, these 35 options cover the full spectrum of breezy summer footwear and guarantee your feet get some well-deserved shine—whether you’re spending the day poolside or are strolling around town. Enjoy!

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And now, my 35 favorite sandals for summer 2025…

Flip-Flops

When people make the case for not wearing sandals in the city, they tend to zero in on the flip-flop as the prime example of a shoe that lacks decorum or grace. And yet, that hasn’t stopped a) me from rocking my Rainbows all summer long a year ago and b) some of the world’s most trend setting-est labels, like Auralee and The Row, from drumming up their own upscale versions of the style for Summer 2025. (Auralee even put their leather pair on the runway as the finishing touch of a cashmere sweater and proper trouser fit.) I’m not saying the mere fact that expensive pairs exist makes them office-appropriate, but I do think there’s a case to be made in general for the flip-flop as the ultimate weekend option in a look that leans on easygoing, unhurried style. (After all, have you ever tried to run somewhere in a pair?) But even if you’re still squarely in the “only wear flip-flops at the beach” camp, below are pairs that’ll work for you: