Outfit Details:
Gold Freedom Moses sandals, Amazon sarong (only $16 and comes in a bunch of colors), bikini bottoms, bikini top (old, similar here), straw tote c/o Mary & Crew x Breck and Grier, Mohala Eyewear sunglasses (c/o code katiev saves you 10%)
Over the past few years I’ve assessed my shoe choice tendencies and once the weather is warm I tend to gravitate towards 3 different types of shoes: neutral colored sandals and mules, water friendly sandals, and shoes that are comfortable. Anything too dark (even navy!) just doesn’t seem to get worn, and heels pretty much don’t happen anymore. If I had to pick just 4 pairs of shoes for the summer I’d choose the following:
1. A pair of neutral colored Freedom Moses sandals (white, gold or baby pink). These are the sandals I choose to wear to the pool or beach when I know my feet will get wet or sandy. They’re more supportive than flip flops, they’re durable and they look cute too!
2. Woven mules or woven sandals. When I need a pedicure I absolutely love woven mules because they’re summery and quite cool yet I can still hide my toes. I’ve worn a pair from Target for the past 2+ years and Walmart now makes a similar option. I recently changed things up a bit and ordered a unique pair from a Moroccan seller on Etsy. They’re so pretty and only take a couple of hours to break them in (they’re raffia so they’re a little rough at first but they get soft quickly as you wear them). They’re $39 and look great with dresses, shorts and pants- I’ve been living in them! As far as sizing goes, I’d say they run true to size. I am a size 8 and got the size 39 (which is typically the equivalent of an 8 but it has a 9 on the bottom for some reason) and the fit is perfect. These sandals are a great open-toed option for the same price and sizing is the same as well. I love mine and they are great Carrie Forbes dupes! These are a another great option.
3. A pair of comfy and simple sneakers. Either simple white Superga Cotu sneakers or Tretorn canvas sneakers in white or Nantucket Red (see my post on 7 ways to wear the Superga sneakers). These are great sneakers because they go with everything! The Nantucket Red pair is particularly cute with a striped shirt and denim shorts. Both run true to size.
4. A pair of metallic Birkenstocks or the white pair. I had the copper pair for a couple of years and wore them almost daily when we lived in Hawaii. I’m now wearing the silver metallic pair. It’s tough to pick a favorite!
If I expanded a bit, I’d add:
5. A pair of neutral and comfortable heels or wedges that work to elongate the leg. These espadrille wedges have been my go-to for the past 8 or so years. These raffia heels from J. McLaughlin are on my wish list.
6. Jack Rogers sandals. The classics are great but I actually like the Boating Jacks better because they’re like Jack Rogers and flipflops had a baby, and they can get wet!
7. Nude flip flops. TKEES flip flops are really comfortable and you can get any nude color to match your skin tone. I have them in Pout which is pretty close to my coloring and they run true to size. These Amazon dupes are pretty similar and only $13!
8. And for fun, a pair of lace up wedge espadrilles, because they’re timeless and classic and look lovely with a dress, skirt or white jeans.
