7 Must Have Summer Sandals

Cue the song “The Heat is On” when June hits in Arizona! Summer comfort, especially on your feet is so important from June until about mid November as the temps are incredibly warm! If you don’t have a selection to rotate through, you could see your sandals breaking down very quickly from the hot concrete. Now, that’s not to say some of the summer sandals I have listed as my staples haven’t been here for a few years, because they have.

I’m simply saying it’s important to have a few in your rotation you can wear and rotate out. Because it’s way too warm usually to wear sneakers (even though I suffer sometimes and do wear them) and summer is about a good sandal, am I right?! However, if you are looking for some advice on some of my favorite sneaker brands, and what I recommend, check out this blog post here.

This post is very much catered to must have summer sandals for women, but I could also do another post if you wanted one for little girls. I will be honest though, getting my girls to wear a different shoe than the EXACT pair they love, is a bit tough. Even though they have a closet full of them 🙁 I digress.

I need to let you know, like always, this post contains affiliate links, and by shopping the links I provide, I may receive an additional commission from you purchasing, at no additional cost to you, so thank you <3!

Here are my 7 must have summer sandals in no particular order:

Slides
Block Heel Sandals
Multi Strap Sandals
Strappy Wedges
Gely Sandals that are dressy slides
Leather Sandals
Strappy Sandals with High Heel

Let’s break each one down

Slides

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When I was talking about having a sandal for more than one year, I was talking about my favorite slides from Reef. I’ve had these babies about 2 and a half years now, and I wear them at some point every day. These gold and neutral colored slides can be worn casually or even dressed up. For me, because I have such large calves that don’t seem to be going anywhere fast, I need some skin showing in my shoe to help bring some attention away from my calves. These slides are the perfect summer sandal slides because they are perfect for lounging around the house, the pool, running errands, or slight housework. I’ve even did a bit of demo work on our garage with them on! They are super durable and have a cushioned foot bed that makes them super comfy and so easy to walk in.

Reef makes many different kinds of sandals and all sizes and for Men, Women, and kids. My exact shoe is on sale right now for $36 if you are a size 5! Good news, they make them in MANY different colors, so check them out here. You won’t be disappointed in these guys!

I have found so many pairs of slides from Target that are super easy to wear, and work well with so

many outfits. If you go to Target or their website at any time of day or season, they typically always have a good slide you can buy! Here’s one of my most worn pair, ironically, these are also gold.

Block Heel Sandals

Sam Edelman shoes have had a place in my closet even before I moved to Arizona in 2013, so the quality and brand do not disappoint!

Whenever I see a shoe with the little SE logo on the outside, either in public on someone else, or in the store, I KNOW it’s a good shoe! And that includes ALL types of shoes, sandals, booties, wedges, heels, tall boots, etc. They all are made to last, made to fit well, and are comfortable! It’s not often you can say that about an entire line and brand and it ring true! It’s also the reason you will find another one of my recommended shoes on this list is from Sam Edelman!

Ok, so the summer block heel sandals are a new one for me. I usually can’t wear a block heel because of my big calves, like we talked about previously. The block on a regular shoe heel covers too much skin for me and adds too much weight and makes the calves look even bigger than they already are. These block heel sandals are different because they are open in the back, have some strappyness to them, and even have a bit of detailing that draws the attention away from the calves. Because they have a bit of heel, it lifts my calves and lets the muscles stand out more, further accentuating the leg.

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Now, if you don’t have thick calves like me, block heels are probably your best friends!

The wider base to stand on makes it so much better and easier to keep your balance. Luckily for us big calf gals, these sandals fit the bill and work for us too! And the touch of cork around the heel and sole of these sandals add quite a nice touch!

I have recently found these cute strappy block heel sandals from Ted Baker that absolutely fit the bill for dressing up a jean or an office look even more! They are a peach color and give the perfect nude color with a square toe that’s sure to be a trend for a long time.

These babies are currently on sale for the Nordstrom sale, linked here, and they will be full price again after the sale is over.

Multi Strap Sandal

I’m all about the openness of a multi strap sandal, especially one that has different colors and patterns on them! These cuties take the idea of

mixing black and brown and throw it right out the window! Because no one needs that rule in their life anymore. I found these cuties at Evereve here, but I’m sure you can probably find them wherever you would shop for sandals.

These have a touch of lift in them, giving the illusion of a longer leg, without causing you to fall and break your neck. They can be dressed up or down, and even mixed with a different pattern while still looking great. The thin straps give enough skin to make them still work for those of us needing as much skin showing as possible to help slim the legs. If you haven’t checked out the Dolce Vita brand, I urge you to go now! They have more than sandals, and you can check out my sneaker post here to see some of my favorite sneakers!

Strappy Wedges

I started noticing wedges a few years ago, and have loved them ever since, especially strappy ones! I love these because they give you extra support and lift when walking. And if you are walking through the grass, or a softer surface your heel won’t sink down like a smaller heeled shoe does. I love a wedge because they can be dressy or casual, and worn with all kinds of outfits from shorts and a tee to a maxi dress. I love to pack these specific cork and cognac summer sandal wedge that I got from Target a few years ago because they are a perfect go to when you need something casual or dressy. No need to burden your suitcase or bag with extra weight if you can take one pair of shoes and cover all your bases!

Gely Sandals that are dressy slides

Another classic shoe that can either be dressed up or made more casual, these gely slides are an affordable dupe for a very expensive

Valentino. I also have a pair of lighter pink Ted Bakers that are more subtle and don’t have the studs, but are equally as good. Now, don’t get me wrong, I spare no pennies for my shoes, but I’d rather have a more affordable version and have SEVERAL of them! These gely shoes came from Amazon, and come in several different colors. I love them so much because my little girls both have a black pair and we can twin easily.

These shoes are super for vacation or wearing for errands. I don’t recommend them for going to get a pedicure though! They become VERY slippery when the lotion gets on your feet and sometimes slip off! I love that they are so affordable and you can’t tell the difference in an actual Valentino and these! link to similar ones that I have.

Here is a different, more structured option for the Gely Sandals, and I found a very similar pair still available. That’s linked here.

Leather Sandals

I couldn’t mention summer sandals being comfortable without including leather sandals, could I? I mean, leather summer sandals are as

much a staple in my closet in summer as they are in spring and fall, especially when you are dealing with the heat of the Arizona sun! While I feel most of these other sandals are good for casual as well as dressy, there’s something about a classic leather sandal that says put together and dressy to me. I mentioned Sam Edelman a bit ago, and when I say I have a Sam Edelman in every shoe style, I’m not kidding! I fell in love with their classic leather sandal slides a few years ago because they go with everything, literally.

These are this season’s update. They always have the best styles and colors, and you can never go wrong with them! Usually, you can find them on sale too, which we all know is a big deal with me! The other thing I absolutely love about these sandals – they last for a few years, minimum! I think I had a pair a few years ago that I wore almost daily in the summer, and they still held up for 2 solid years! And don’t get me started on their gladiators — Like THE BEST around!

Strappy Sandals with High Heel

Typically, you always need a strappy sandal with a high heel for summer, for weddings, girls night out, clubbing, etc. except this year. This year, we need them to get dressed to have dinner on our patio, zoom weddings, and virtual girls nights. But hey, we still need summer heel sandals even if we aren’t leaving the house – just yet! I’m loving the square toe trend mixed with a little ombre like these I got from JustFab Online.

If a summer sandal with a high heel isn’t your thing, then maybe these strappy kitten heels will do the

trick. I love how they come in so many different colors and are super affordable to have more than one summer sandal low heel in your closet.

Final Thoughts

Sandals are a staple item for summer, and having a variety to fit different outfits and situations is a must. If you are looking for a capsule wardrobe, maybe grabbing a few of these styles that can cross over to multiple outfits and looks is the best idea. If you need some inspiration for your summer closet essentials, check out my blog post on that here. It’s sure to give you some ideas and things to ponder for keeping your closet up to date and easy!

Tell me what your favorite summer sandal is in the comments, I’d love to know what y’all find to be the most important!

7 Must Have Summer Sandals