Spring-summer sandals come in all shapes and sizes. First, there were the borrowed-from-the-dads fisherman sandals (to some’s disapproval), then there were the bejewelled or toe-ring styles that add a touch of sophistication to an evening summer look. Personall,y I’m a loyal fan of barely-there sandals, my favourites being from Ancient Greek Sandals simply because they go with literally everything. I’m not easily swayed by trending sandal styles and have let the aforementioned two trends pass me by, but a certain bubbling sandal trend has caught my eye: the rope sandals.
Now, you must know that I’m as far from a gorpcore girlie as you could find, but I do love a touch of practicality in my look, especially when it comes to footwear. After all, we ask a lot of our summer shoes, which are expected us to (hopefully) take us on some fun adventures.
Filippo Fior/Launchmetrics.com/spotlight
Launchmetrics.com/spotlight
Inspired by the sturdy styles worn by hikers and rock climbers, the rope sandals usually feature a flat sole and bungee cords that can be in hues as minimalist as black or as fun as bright pink or orange.
We first saw the style come onto the runway at the Miu Miu spring/summer 2024 show, where models wore nautical shirts and preppy jackets styled with their rope sandals. Upon closer look, one could even see colourful bandages plastered on the model’s toes, as if they had stepped off a particularly arduous hike straight onto the catwalk.
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It’s precisely this rough-around-the-edges aesthetic that has drawn many fashion girls to this summer sandal. Most influencers have been seen wearing theirs with boy shorts for a pool day, but the sandals could easily be paired with a flouncy, cheesecloth dress to provide a bit of balance or, styled with a blazer on top for that casual-formal friction.
I’m personally a fan of the way they can add a bit of colour to an outfit without trying too hard, but also how they remind me of the good ol’ long summer holidays between school years spent hopping on rocks and running through dirt. Nostalgia is trending right now—just look at the jelly flats flying off shelves—but if you’re not the ugly-shoe girl, rope sandals are your answer to comfort shoe dressing this summer.
Shop our favourite rope sandals below: