We here at Who What Wear love to exchange shopping tips—sales, rare finds, best vintage shops, you name it. But the thing we love to share most is when we find a truly great piece; the kind you can’t stop wearing, thinking, and talking about. It’s somewhat of a daily occurrence at our office that someone walks in wearing something dreamy that they just can’t wait to gush about. Whether that’s the perfect work bag, a pair of earrings that transform an entire outfit, or jeans that fit just right (you know the kind I’m talking about).
Well, today I’m here to gush to you about one of my personal favorite categories (and one that sparks a lot of the aforementioned conversations at WWW HQ): shoes. You guys shop a lot of shoes we feature on the site, so the best-selling styles almost seem like they have the personal stamp of approval from you, our dear readers. I decided to take one for the team and put each top seller through a wear test (for context, I tapped our commerce strategist for data on the top styles). Below, I’m giving you the rundown on what those styles are, how they actually feel wearing them around all day, and photos of how I styled them.
Strappy ’90s heels (or floss sandals, if you will) are arguably the biggest shoe trend of the year. And this iteration from Reformation hits on every detail perfectly—barely there straps, bold color, and leg-lengthening heel height (3.5 inches, to be exact). At first, I thought the red colorway would be hard to interject into my wardrobe but quickly realized they actually add a nice pop of color to almost anything I tried to pair them with.
I typically don’t wear a ton of color, so these slid in quite nicely with my mostly neutral outfit choices. The one mistake I did make was wearing them to the office. Don’t get me wrong, they are comfortable, but wearing them all day at the office and then straight to dinner after was a bit tough on my feet. As someone who doesn’t wear heels to work on a regular basis, that was a long day for me. Moving forward these are going to be my evening shoes for the summer.
I’ve yet to meet a slide sandal I don’t like, but these Steven Greece Sandals take the cake. They’re insanely comfortable, go with absolutely everything, and are a minimalist girl’s dream. I tested these twice—once to my office where I’m doing equal parts sitting and standing, and again that weekend in Laguna Beach. The leather doesn’t dig into your foot in the slightest, and despite the shoe’s thin soles, I had zero foot pain after walking around town all day. These have since become a staple in my shoe wardrobe, and I’m even thinking about ordering them in another color since summer is just beginning. Oh, and you can’t really beat the price point for a slide of this quality.
As far as white sneakers go, I’m in a very committed relationship with the same Stan Smiths and Chuck Taylors I’ve been wearing for years. I keep them on heavy rotation and rarely stray. But these Supergas are giving them a run for their money. The platform makes them feel a bit more feminine than your average trainer, yet it’s surprisingly comfortable.
I’ll admit I was a bit hesitant at first because of the 1.5 inch platform (and a bit nervous for my ankles), but I barely noticed the thick sole walking around in them all day—aside from when I went to reach for the top shelf in my kitchen that I usually struggle to touch but now could with ease. They’re also shockingly light given the added weight on the sole of the shoe. These are 10/10 being added to my sneaker lineup.
Another pair of sleek sandals you guys are obsessed with: H&M’s leather slides. This woven style is minimal with chic detailing and structured enough to even be worn to the office. As you can see by the below crop top, I did not wear these to the office, but I did wear these on a busy Saturday and received multiple inquiries from strangers on their origin.
They’re also insanely comfortable—I ran around all day in them and then slipped them back on to go to a dinner that night. If you’re looking for an everyday sandal this summer that’s easy, comfortable, and has just the right amount of design, these are it.
Next up: The five summer shoe trends I’m already seeing everywhere.
Source: Who What Wear – Caitlin Burnett