![shoes](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/fashion/2024/06/20/TELEMMGLPICT000382604911_17189018572010_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqqVzuuqpFlyLIwiB6NTmJwfSVWeZ_vEN7c6bHu2jJnT8.jpeg?imwidth=680)
This summer’s most stylish footwear is both practical and chic
In search of a pair of shoes that look great and are also sturdy? Look no further...
![shoes](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/fashion/2024/06/20/TELEMMGLPICT000382604911_17189018572010_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqqVzuuqpFlyLIwiB6NTmJwfSVWeZ_vEN7c6bHu2jJnT8.jpeg?imwidth=680)
You will know by now that delicate, dainty shoes are very much back – which is fabulous, until you want to cover some serious ground. In real life, worn for 10,000 steps a day, a mesh slipper will collapse faster than a soufflé in the MasterChef kitchen. With that in mind, a more practical shoe is also needed in the summer footwear arsenal: one that can withstand a walking tour of the Acropolis or bargain-hunting in the summer sales.
The good news is that fashion and practicality are no longer mutually exclusive. In fact, there is a wealth of stylish options that will serve you well. The bad news? We need to move on from white trainers. Instead, a structured sandal is your friend; from Birkenstocks to fisherman sandals, seek out something with a supportive, comfortable footbed, and straps that keep the foot well in place.
![Fisherman sandals are a good middle ground: stylish and supportive](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/fashion/2024/06/20/TELEMMGLPICT000382554160_17188846777570_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqLh8CO1_RjBMe_br0MLOTH9fqynQlLdsUbIGtkGuyCOw.jpeg?imwidth=350)
![French actor Omar Sy wore fisherman sandals at Milan Fashion Week 2024](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/fashion/2024/06/20/TELEMMGLPICT000382554159_17188846876190_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqM3qriyEIEEvaYgq0NwP-3qWBTDfipEFF968fKoTbQx0.jpeg?imwidth=350)
Parisians, who typically get around on foot or by Métro, are a source of inspiration for French shoe brand Bobbies, so it delivers particularly well. ‘Every detail of the shoe is designed for comfort: stability of the heel, straps to support the ankle, suppleness of the sole,’ says co-founder Antoine Bolze. ‘These elements are all intricately looked at before we create a shoe, and then tested multiple times before we add it to the final collection.’
![Model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley dressed down a skirt-suit with sandals in Paris](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/fashion/2024/06/20/TELEMMGLPICT000382554163_17188847070470_trans_NvBQzQNjv4Bq2Dp5HAGB14RMdeEH_WSRCWhPTQ7TXL0Uty5aMfAG7kg.jpeg?imwidth=350)
If you’d prefer not to be a slave to the pedicurist this summer, fisherman sandals are a good middle ground, while slingback clogs are a weather-appropriate way to do fully closed toes. Deck shoes are also having an unlikely fashion moment, courtesy of Miu Miu.
Wedded to trainers? Choose a dark colourway and a sporty, sleek shape. The Onitsuka Tiger and Saucony styles above are cool in a classic, rather than trendy, way.
![Actor Jacob Elordi kept things cool and casual with a pair of clean trainers in Milan](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/fashion/2024/06/20/TELEMMGLPICT000382554161_17188846681330_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqdQmns2ZTApI6DtNxbmyFU6Pv8g6zB62elbBJeMFSaWQ.jpeg?imwidth=350)
Ultimately, your existing wardrobe will dictate your choice, so think about which dresses, trousers or shorts you wear on repeat. Brown, tan and khaki shoes are particularly versatile – they work as well with pale outfits as dark ones. That said, black sandals with a minimalist white sundress can look very elegant, too.
The right pair will work for almost every occasion. They should be, Bolze says, ‘comfortable to wear all day and all night – and always with that little fashion twist that makes your style unique’.
Put your best foot forward...
Women’s shoes
![Leather fisherman sandals, £295, ME+EM; Suede buckled sandals, £119, Massimo Dutti; Suede slingback clogs, £195, Russell & Bromley](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/fashion/2024/06/20/TELEMMGLPICT000382550502_17188838124900_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqgCXocDQF5kP7s3jSjli3eCH0-jRUT4rHK8EgtaGoQwQ.jpeg?imwidth=350)
Leather fisherman sandals, £295, ME+EM; Suede buckled sandals, £119, Massimo Dutti; Suede slingback clogs, £195, Russell & Bromley
![Leather sandals, £139, Arket; Leather sandals, £180, A. Emery](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/fashion/2024/06/20/TELEMMGLPICT000382550845_17188838739500_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqgCXocDQF5kP7s3jSjli3eCH0-jRUT4rHK8EgtaGoQwQ.jpeg?imwidth=350)
![Suede boat shoes, £170, Sebago; Suede leather, £115, Birkenstock; Suede loafers, £219, Myrqvist](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/fashion/2024/06/20/TELEMMGLPICT000382551219_17188840582310_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqgCXocDQF5kP7s3jSjli3eCH0-jRUT4rHK8EgtaGoQwQ.jpeg?imwidth=350)
Suede boat shoes, £170, Sebago; Suede leather, £115, Birkenstock; Suede loafers, £219, Myrqvist
![Padded trainers, £100, Saucony; Leather and padded trainers, £130, Onitsuka Tiger](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/fashion/2024/06/20/TELEMMGLPICT000382551325_17188840681790_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqgCXocDQF5kP7s3jSjli3eCH0-jRUT4rHK8EgtaGoQwQ.jpeg?imwidth=350)
Padded trainers, £100, Saucony; Leather and padded trainers, £130, Onitsuka Tiger
Shopping by Sophie Tobin