The Hottest Summer 2023 Shoe Trends, According to Fashion Editors

Hit the ground running this season.

There's a clear theme with summer 2023's fashion trends: duality. The shades of quiet luxury—think ivories, caramels, and slate gray—and ostentatious hues like electric lime green and vibrant orange will co-exist in your summer color palette. You'll don high-waisted trousers and linen blazers for in-office work days, but after hours, reach for statement sequins and party-ready pieces for evenings spent sipping spritzes and dining al fresco. Summer 2023's shoe trends reflect a similar balance of aesthetics: You'll find practicality with work-appropriate loafers and ballet flats but also the chance to express your more playful side via kitschy cool sandals and platform pumps.

As Kate Bellman, Nordstrom's Women's Managing Fashion Editor, details, the best shoes for summer 2023 exist on opposite ends of the sartorial spectrum—but shopping the seasonal footwear edit is not as tricky as it might seem. Ahead, Bellman offers insight into the front-running shoe trends, and you'll find a well-curated, ready-made edit to shop so you can hit the ground running this summer.

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"Tailoring has been influential the past few seasons and is only tracking to get bigger for upcoming seasons. With that, the prep codes have prevailed through key footwear styles bringing importance to loafers and Mary Janes," explains Nordstrom's Bellman. "For summer, look for lightweight materials, like a woven raffia version, or a pretty color palette."

Statement straps, whether that be gladiator-esque cages or interwoven leather cords, are a dominating look among summer's trending shoe silhouettes. As for specific silhouettes, try a flat sandal that laces up the leg or a strappy slingback heel that works for both formal occasions (perhaps that summer wedding you have coming up the docket?) and everyday wear.

"Platforms and flatforms continue to be on the rise for the summer months and provide a sleek pairing to both effortless tailoring or sexy silhouettes," details the Nordstrom fashion expert. "Exaggerated heights feel even more modern this season with strong architectural wedges and reinvited design elements of the everyday heel."

"As the temps start to heat up, be sure to amp up the color for your sandal assortment as well," implores Bellman. "Vibrant hues and colorful craft details"—think woven textures, quirky patchwork, fringe, and flair—"add an amped-up playfulness to show off your pedicures." Arts and crafts, but make it polished and fit for your day-to-day.

"Adding a touch of effortless and ease to our shoe wardrobe, our romance with the ballet flat continues through the summer months. As versatile as they are feminine, they pair perfectly back to a long, ethereal dress, as they do to balance out the toughness of wide-leg jeans," describes Bellman of the classic, fool-proof flat.

Kate Bellman is the Managing Fashion Editor at Nordstrom.

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Emma Childs is the Style Editor at Marie Claire, where she researches up-and-coming trends, curates shopping guides, and gushes about the must-buy items she can't stop thinking about. She previously wrote for TZR, Editorialist, Elite Daily, and Mission Magazine and studied Fashion Studies and New Media at Fordham University. When she's not writing up fashion deep-dives or finding the season's best pieces, you'll find her fiddling around in Photoshop and perusing HBO Max for the next show to base her personality on (currently, it's "Succession").

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