These Summer Sandals Will Save Your Feet While It’s Really Hot (And Even When It’s Not)

Sandal season is here, there's no point trying to avoid it. And while the thought of bringing your feet out of hibernation might make you want to call in sick to start pumicing and painting, it does mean that you can free your toes from their closed-shoe prisons, ultimately cooling you down when it matters the most.

From smart flip-flops that will serve you all-summer-long to the naked sandals that have come straight from the archives of the '90s, there is undoubtedly a shoe for you. So, here are the best summer sandals you need to know about for the sunny season.

Flip-Flop Sandals

The flip-flop has grown up and now is either made of sleek leather or comes with the addition of a nano heel. Before you dismiss this trend as a flash-in-the-pan, please note that they are super comfy, look seriously chic and mean that you can easily transition from work to holiday mode.

Fisherman's Sandals

Fisherman's sandals are the perfect option if you haven't yet managed to head to a salon (Alexa Chung's a big fan). Made from woven leather, and usually featuring a slingback strap and a buckle fastening, they look great with ribbed socks while the weather still hasn't made up its mind.

Naked Sandals

The Row is responsible for the comeback of the naked sandal. (The Olsens have an eye for sleeper shoe hits - they also have ultra-luxe iterations of the fisherman's sandal and chunky-soled flip-flop.) Aeyde, Massimo Dutti, Arket and Ferragamo (see above) all have suitably '90s-looking pairs of the barely-there strappy sandal.

Mule Sandals

Another hero of the '90s, and a personal favourite of Carrie Bradshaw's, is the mule, a high-heeled, thick-strapped leather sandal that looks great with minidresses and straight-leg jeans.

Platform Sandals

Chunky platform sandals are not for the faint-hearted but are guaranteed to make an impact (plus, they hold up better on grass than spindly stilettos - a wedding season win).

Walking Sandals

Not a joke: thick soles, velcro and solid ankle straps no longer belong exclusively to the orthopaedic shoe market. Oh no – dad sandals, the kind yours would pack on a walking holiday, are officially in. (Birkenstock's are a perennial favourite among fashion editors, who like to wear them with chunky socks in winter and beaded anklets in summer).

Hannah Banks-Walker is Grazia's head of fashion commerce. She has previously written for the likes of Harper's Bazaar, The Financial Times Glamour, Stylist, The Telegraph, Red, i-D and The Pool on everything from fashion to curly hair (hi!) to the patriarchy. Not necessarily in that order. Find her on Instagram and Twitter. But please don't look for her MySpace profile, which until now was the last time she wrote about herself in the third person.