Most sandals are a compromise. They look good in the shop and let you down by lunchtime, or they're comfortable but so aggressively practical that they undo whatever you've put effort into wearing them with. We've spent a lot of time being annoyed by this and it's why we've been so particular about what makes it into this edit. A sandal worth having is one that solves both problems at once. Good construction, a footbed that actually supports you, and a design with enough personality to work hard in a wardrobe. We've pulled together flat sandals, low heeled options, and some with a proper heel for when the occasion calls for it. Strappy styles that earn their complexity. Simpler ones that are better than they first appear because the leather is right and the proportion is exactly correct. Summer dressing lives or dies on your footwear choices in a way people consistently underestimate. A bad sandal ruins a great outfit. A genuinely good one completes it without drawing attention to itself. These are the ones that complete it.
Claire's Top Picks
70s Sandals You'll Actually Wear
MONSOON
Maison Hotel Giulietta Braided Leather Sandals Brown
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£93.57
MONSOON
Espadrille Sandals That Go the Distance
MONSOON
Floral Espadrille Wedge Sandals Natural
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£25.00
MONSOON
Sandals That Go the Distance
OFFICE_SHOES
Nike Air Max Koko Sandals Black Metallic Goldanthracitewhite, .
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£89.99
OFFICE_SHOES
Wedge Platform Sandals Worth Keeping by the Door
SPARTOO.CO.UK
Truffle Collection Open Toe Flat Platform Sandals women's Wedge sandals in Black
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£25.06
SPARTOO.CO.UK
70s Sandals You'll Actually Wear
Seventies sandals have a reputation problem. People assume the look means full fancy dress, that you need flared trousers and a cheesecloth shirt to pull them off. You do not. The right pair sits completely naturally with a linen midi dress, wide leg jeans, or even something quite simple and contemporary. That is what makes this era of sandal design so good. The strappy gladiator styles, the chunky tan leather, the stacked wooden soles that add real height without punishing your feet. These are silhouettes that have been quietly influential for fifty years for a reason. We have been pulling together the versions that feel genuinely wearable rather than costume-like, the ones that have that unmistakable seventies quality in their construction and their materials without requiring you to commit to a full decade. Tan leather is the dominant note here, though there are richer browns and some cream options that photograph beautifully against summer skin. What unites them is that they all look better in person than they do online. Wear them once and you will understand why this particular era of footwear refuses to go away.
MONSOON
Maison Hotel Giulietta Braided Leather Sandals Brown
£93.57
MONSOON
SNEAKIN UK
Women's heel sandals Buffalo Malena
£53.36
SNEAKIN UK
MADE IN PARADIS UK
Women's sandals Les Tropeziennes par M.Belarbi Hocean
£62.59
MADE IN PARADIS UK
MISSPAP_UK_IE
Sam Edelman Women's Circus NY Addison Sandals in Black
£76.99
MISSPAP_UK_IE
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
Sam Edelman Circus Ny Addison Sandals In Black
£76.99
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
Espadrille Sandals That Go the Distance
Most espadrilles fall apart before the summer is half over and that is a genuine problem when you've built three weeks of holiday outfits around them. The jute sole starts to fray, the canvas softens in the wrong way, and suddenly your most relied upon warm weather shoe looks like it's been through something. We've curated specifically against that. Every pair in this collection has been chosen for how it holds up, not just how it looks on first wear.
What we love about espadrille sandals specifically is the openness. More breathable than a closed espadrille, more relaxed than a proper strappy sandal, they sit in exactly the right place for beach towns, long lunches, and cobbled streets that look lovely but punish bad footwear. The flat versions are our everyday workhorses. The wedge styles add enough height to feel like a considered choice without destroying your feet on a full day out.
These are the espadrille sandals we actually trust. The ones where the sole stays intact, the straps hold their shape, and you reach for them every single morning without thinking twice.
MONSOON
Floral Espadrille Wedge Sandals Natural
£25.00
MONSOON
PRETTYLITTLETHING UK
Niella White Espadrille Flatform Sandals
£21.00
PRETTYLITTLETHING UK
MADE IN PARADIS UK
Women's wedge sandals Mim Shoes Formentor
£32.48
MADE IN PARADIS UK
COES
Fairfax & Favor Monaco Wedge Sandals for Women
£175.00
COES
MONSOON
Crochet Flower Espadrille Sandals Multi
£25.00
MONSOON
SPARTOO.CO.UK
Superdry HIGH ESPADRILLE SANDAL women's Wedge sandals in Black
£73.10
SPARTOO.CO.UK
MONSOON
Floral Embroidered Espadrille Sandals Multi
£25.00
MONSOON
SPARTOO.CO.UK
FitFlop ELOISE ESPADRILLE LEATHER BACK- STRAP WEDGE SANDA LS women's Wedge sandals in Brown
£130.90
SPARTOO.CO.UK
SNEAKIN UK
Women's sandals Les Tropeziennes par M.Belarbi Cosmic
£47.64
SNEAKIN UK
MISSPAP_UK_IE
DKNY Women's Binna Sandals in Taupe
£102.50
MISSPAP_UK_IE
MISSPAP_UK_IE
STEVE MADDEN Women's 'Taliya Pale Pink' Leather Sandals in Pale Pink
£79.00
MISSPAP_UK_IE
WIDE_FIT_SHOES_UK
Women's Wide Fit Skechers Bobs Desert Kiss Serendipitous Sandals, Chestnut E
£99.99
WIDE_FIT_SHOES_UK
High Heel Platform Sandals Worth the Steps
The platform sandal solves a very specific problem: you want serious height without spending an evening gripping the back of chairs and regretting your life choices. The hidden platform under the toe changes the geometry entirely, reducing the true incline your foot bears, which means you can actually wear these properly rather than just surviving them. That distinction matters enormously when you are on your feet for hours.
What we love about platform sandals specifically is how unapologetic they are. A regular heel can be subtle. A platform sandal is not trying to be subtle. It commits to the look fully and the look is better for it. We have been pulling together the versions that combine real wearability with genuine visual impact, strappy styles that work for summer evenings, chunkier silhouettes that feel current rather than costume, and sleeker options that photograph brilliantly without sacrificing the comfort that makes them worth reaching for repeatedly.
The best platform sandals make you feel like the tallest person in the room without punishing you for it. These are exactly those sandals.
THE_DOUBLE_F
Aria platform sandals
£315.00
THE_DOUBLE_F
PRETTYLITTLETHING UK
Silver Snake Strappy Platform Heeled Sandals
£13.25
PRETTYLITTLETHING UK
MILANOO_UK
Black Sexy Heel Sandals Platform Open Toe Ankle Strap High Heel Sandals
£49.07
MILANOO_UK
MILANOO_UK
Nude High Heel Sandals Platform Open Toe Ankle Strap Party Prom Shoes
£49.85
MILANOO_UK
INSTOCK UK
Rhinestone Decor Ankle Strap Platform Sandals - Gold
£18.94
INSTOCK UK
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
Paradox London 'navarra' Wide Fit Platform High Heel Sandals In Metallic Silver
£69.00
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
Xy London 'colt' Strappy Square Toe High Block Heel Platform Mule Sandals In White
£19.99
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
MILANOO_UK
High Heel Sandals Women's Open Toe Platform Lace Up Sandal Shoes
£36.61
MILANOO_UK
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
Xy London 'remi' Wedge Heel Platform Espadrille Square Toe Sandals In Black
£24.99
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
OFFICE_SHOES
OFFICE Womens Honor Cross Over Platform Block Heel Sandals Cream Natural
£35.00
OFFICE_SHOES
INSTOCK UK
Ankle Strap Platform Heeled Sandals
£22.94
INSTOCK UK
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
Paradox London Lavelle' Platform Heeled Sandals In Gold
£69.00
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
Sandals That Go the Distance
Most sandals are fine for a couple of hours. Then your feet start talking to you and the conversation is not a pleasant one. This collection exists for every situation where that cannot happen. City days that start at breakfast and end somewhere with a cocktail. Holidays where you are genuinely walking, not posing. Weddings with outdoor receptions on uneven ground. The sandals here have been chosen because they hold up through the long version of the day, not just the edited highlight reel. We looked at footbed quality, at strap placement, at whether the sole actually absorbs impact or just pretends to. Style mattered too, of course. A sandal that only performs is just an orthopaedic compromise. These ones look genuinely good. We have a particular soft spot for styles that read as elegant from a distance and reveal their clever engineering only when you pick them up. Flat, low heeled, and a few that give you real height without punishing you for it by nine in the evening. Comfort and style used to feel like a negotiation. These sandals refuse that deal entirely.
OFFICE_SHOES
Nike Air Max Koko Sandals Black Metallic Goldanthracitewhite, .
£89.99
OFFICE_SHOES
MISSPAP_UK_IE
Gabriela Hearst Women's Preloved Flip Flop Sandals in White Leather in Ecru
£89.25
MISSPAP_UK_IE
MADE IN PARADIS UK
Women's heeled sandals Steve Madden Evers-R
£121.27
MADE IN PARADIS UK
MADE IN PARADIS UK
Women's heeled sandals Ryłko Miley
£69.27
MADE IN PARADIS UK
MADE IN PARADIS UK
Women's heeled sandals Ryłko Daga
£59.76
MADE IN PARADIS UK
SNEAKIN UK
Women's heeled sandals Tamaris --
£41.94
SNEAKIN UK
SPARTOO.CO.UK
Tamaris - women's Wedge sandals in Marine
£49.40
SPARTOO.CO.UK
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
Ajvani High Heel Crossed Straps Buckle Faux Suede Heeled Sandals In Cobalt
£32.99
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
Ivachy Sparkling Wedge Sandals- Flowers Diamonds Shinny Crystal In Black
£33.00
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
Ajvani High Heel Crossed Straps Buckle Satin Heeled Sandals In Pink
£32.99
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
Ajvani High Heel Crossed Straps Buckle Glitter Mesh Heeled Sandals In Rose Gold
£32.99
DOROTHY PERKINS UK
OFFICE_SHOES
Nike Air Max Koko Sandals Chalk Ice Peach White, .
£70.00
OFFICE_SHOES
Sandals Worth Being on Your Feet All Day
Most sandals look brilliant in the shop and destroy your feet by noon. We've all done it. Worn something beautiful to a summer wedding or a long day out, and paid for it by early afternoon with blisters and that specific kind of tired that starts in your heels and works upward. This collection exists because we refuse to keep making that trade-off. Every sandal here has been chosen because it works across real hours, not just the first twenty minutes. That means proper footbeds, straps that don't cut, and constructions that actually support the foot rather than just decorating it. We've included everything from flat leather sandals with genuine arch support to block heeled options that look dressed up without punishing you for standing at a party. Some are quietly classic. Some make a real statement. All of them have been picked with the same question in mind: would we still be happy wearing these at six in the evening after a full day on our feet. The answer for everything here is yes. Comfort and style are not the compromise most sandal brands seem to think they are.
BLACKS
Women's Venice H Sandals - Grey .
£39.97
BLACKS
STUARTS LONDON
Birkenstock Womens Silver Madrid EVA Sandals .
£20.00
STUARTS LONDON
BLACKS
Women's Capri Sandals - Brown . R
£59.97
BLACKS
STUARTS LONDON
Birkenstock Womens Gizeh EVA Sandals - White .
£25.00
STUARTS LONDON
OFFICE_SHOES
Converse Womens All Star Chuck Taylor Thong Sandals Papyrus Natural, .
£69.99
OFFICE_SHOES
MILANOO_UK
Sexy Sandals For Woman Black PU Leather Open Toe . Rhinestones . Sexy Shoes
£35.05
MILANOO_UK
HOKA_UK
HOKA Hopara Hiking Sandals in BlackCastlerock, Size .
£105.00
HOKA_UK
BLACKS
Women’s Whisper Sandals - Grey .
£34.97
BLACKS
MADE IN PARADIS UK
Women's Suede Heeled Sandals Ryłko
£64.51
MADE IN PARADIS UK
MADE IN PARADIS UK
High Quality Leather Heeled Sandals Women Ryłko
£69.27
MADE IN PARADIS UK
SNEAKIN UK
Women's sandals Tamaris --
£36.26
SNEAKIN UK
SNEAKIN UK
Women's heeled sandals Ryłko Arina
£64.51
SNEAKIN UK
Wedge Platform Sandals Worth Keeping by the Door
The best sandal you own should be the one you grab without thinking. That is the standard wedge platform sandals meet better than almost anything else in a summer wardrobe. The wedge sole does something genuinely clever: it gives you real height without the instability of a heel, which means you can walk properly, stand for hours, and still look like you made a considered choice when you got dressed. We find them indispensable for exactly those occasions where you want elevation but cannot afford to be hobbling by midday. Outdoor events. Long lunches. Holidays where the ground is uneven and the days are unpredictable. The platform element adds a visual weight that reads as intentional rather than merely practical, which is the difference between a shoe that looks like a compromise and one that looks like a decision. We have pulled together the wedge platform sandals that genuinely earn a permanent spot by the front door. Some are neutral and endlessly useful. Some make more of a statement. All of them solve the height versus comfort problem so completely that you stop thinking of it as a problem at all.
SPARTOO.CO.UK
Truffle Collection Open Toe Flat Platform Sandals women's Wedge sandals in Black
£25.06
SPARTOO.CO.UK
SNEAKIN UK
Women's sandals adidas Adilette Platform
£29.45
SNEAKIN UK
MILANOO_UK
Gothic Lolita Sandals Ruffle Ankle Strap Platform Wedge Heel Black Lolita Shoes
£52.97
MILANOO_UK
OFFICE_SHOES
OFFICE Womens Maple Buckle Slingback Platform Sandals Off White
£25.00
OFFICE_SHOES
BLUE VANILLA
Broderie Detail Platform Sandals - BEIGE
£35.00
BLUE VANILLA
LA REDOUTE UK
Leather Platform Sandals
£83.99
LA REDOUTE UK
SPARTOO.CO.UK
Mou RAFFIA PLATFORM BACK STRAP women's Wedge sandals in Brown
£189.00
SPARTOO.CO.UK
MISSPAP_UK_IE
Elle Sport Women's Platform Slide Sandals with Contoured Footbed in Jet Black
£21.99
MISSPAP_UK_IE
LA REDOUTE UK
Iconic Elena Sling Platform Sandals
£27.00
LA REDOUTE UK
MADE IN PARADIS UK
Wedge and platform sandals for women Tamaris Touch
£29.57
MADE IN PARADIS UK
SPARTOO.CO.UK
Crocs MIAMI PLATFORM Y STRAP SANDAL women's Wedge sandals in Black
£43.00
SPARTOO.CO.UK
LA REDOUTE UK
Dorina Leather Platform Sandals
£67.99
LA REDOUTE UK