Last updated on December 27th, 2021 at 10:33 pm

Ah summer! Shorts and tank tops. Sundresses. Cropped jeans and off-the-shoulder blouses. What goes well with all of them? The best casual sandals of course. We’ve rounded up some of our favorites in the hopes that they become your favorites too!

Dianne’s Selections

Thong Sandals

I have a wide foot. Add to that the fact that I have a bunion on both my feet, and you’ve got shoe problems. Not the sexy image to start this section, but I know that others have “foot problems” too. I hope this will help. Sandals are usually my “respite” season from shoes that fit too tight and the thong styles are the best casual sandals for my feet.

These Katie & Kelly Payden sandals have been around for years. While the trend for 2021 has moved more towards slides, these are still a classic if you like a thong sandal.

This next pair falls somewhere between casual and dressy. I love just the little bit of block heel and the square toe. I think they are perfect with a sundress.

One thing for me to add – and this is for me personally, is that when I order a wide shoe I find I have to go down 1/2 size or I will slip out of the shoes. So I usually wear a 7 1/2 but in wide shoes I will wear a 7. It took me a while to figure that out. So if you are experiencing the same thing, we may want to size down.

Lastly, I love this Isa sandal from Dolce Vita. It pretty much combines all the 2021 trends – studs, animal print and raffia all in one shoe!

The Thong Sandal Splurge – Tory Burch

So I just mentioned that I prefer thong sandals for my feet. I have been eyeing these Tory Burch Miller sandals for literally years. It was hard for me to pay $200 for a sandal, but just a couple of weeks ago, I pulled the trigger. I also love nude color sandals. I’m not very tall, so wearing a nude sandal elongates my legs, especially with shorts. So I did get the Light Makeup color which should be a color that I can use for years. So I consider them an investment piece.

Wide Width Slide Sandals

You may have noticed the slides are very popular right now and that can be difficult for someone with a foot like mine. But, as usual, Target to the rescue! Target has so many cute options that come in wide widths.

I own these Leopard slides, in fact I wore them in our post on “The Best Shorts for All Shapes and Ages”.

I also found these wide width slide espadrilles, which were an “Add To Cart” but haven’t arrived as of this writing.

Jen’s Selections

I will fully admit that these sandals aren’t the cutest, but I really don’t care. I go to way more casual places these days than I do fancy places. I’ve also probably said this elsewhere before too, but as I’ve gotten older it doesn’t bother me if people don’t like what I’m wearing. 

If you like my recommendations for the best casual sandals below, that’s fantastic! And if not, that’s ok too! I want to know what sandals you’re loving right now so I can check them out! 

Tevas

I originally bought these for our trip to Walt Disney World, and let me tell you, I wasn’t disappointed. Walking 10 miles a day and not having to deal with any blisters or pain was amazing. I have the classic version, but there are a lot of different styles to choose from. The platform sandals seemed like a rolled ankle waiting to happen. 

I also have these sandals too, and while I didn’t wear them to Disney World, I still wear them often! A friend used to wear these when we’d go for walks around our office building (years ago, obviously), and had to buy them based on her recommendation! 

Studded sandals from Target 

These are by far the fanciest and cutest sandals on this list. They can be dressed up or down, and are almost an exact dupe for the Steve Madden Travel sandals! 

I saw the Steve Madden sandals last summer, and didn’t want to spend the money, because where was I going anyway? But when I saw that Target had them I figured I’d give them a shot. 

I paired them with my gingham top in our last “Wear it at Any Age” post, and they make the top look less preppy. I do like the preppy look, but I like having options!

These look cute with a summery dress, or jeans and a tank. There’s no wrong way to wear them!

Dianne’s Note: These also come in wide widths! I was so excited to find them. You can find them here.

Birkenstocks

I had Birkenstocks when I was in high school and was obsessed. I have a new pair now without the strap on the back, and I’m still obsessed. It takes a handful of wears, but they mold to be the perfect shape for your feet, and are super comfortable. 

I’ve had mine for years and they still look and feel great. I don’t wear them when I’m going to be by the water because the footbeds can get a little slimy and slippery. But other than that I’ll wear them anywhere! 

Target Two-Band Slide Sandals

These are a dupe for the Birkenstock EVA Arizona sandals. The only bummer is they don’t come in half sizes. I wear a 8.5, and the 8 seems a little small and the 9 looks like a small boat. Odds are, no one notices, so it’s really not a big deal. 

I saw a friend had the yellow Birkenstock sandals a couple years a making a mental note to keep an eye out for them. 

I have the silver sandals, but all of the colors are super cute! Now these are what I wore primarily last summer at the lake – walking around in the backyard, going out for boat rides, sitting on the dock, you know, all that fun summer stuff!

If these get wet, no grossness here! They would probably even float in the water, but hopefully that wouldn’t be an issue. 

Crocs

I would like to state my case that I NEVER, EVER, EVER, thought I would say I own Crocs. Never. And I don’t plan on getting the clogs, ever (if I talk about getting them, someone point me back to this post), but ugh these sandals are cute. As we’ve learned, I’m a relatively plain person as far as style goes, so I don’t have any Jibbitz.

Digressing to talk about Jibbitz for a moment, when we went to Disney, I got Eme a pair of black Croc clogs, and pink Croc sandals. I do think Crocs on a toddler are cute, so I’ve bought Eme a bunch of different kinds of Crocs as she moves to the next size. Just not for me up until now.

The black clogs had Mickey and Minnie Jibbitz, and the pink sandals had a Piglet Jibbitz. And I had to make sure Eme wore Mickey and Minnie-inspired outfits when she wore her black Crocs. And we tried some “light” Disney Bounding (where you dress inspired by a character) as Piglet. I had a Winnie the Pooh t-shirt, and Mike had a Tigger t-shirt.

Eme also had a pair of white Converse and black Vans on this trip, so she had options for other outfits. And yes, I know I’m ridiculous. 

So if I was this crazy about matching my (at the time) 18-month old daughter’s outfits, what would I be capable of for me? Doing this for myself is a rabbit hole I just can’t go down. Picking out Jibbitz feels like making a statement about your personality (too deep?), and I just don’t know what statement I would want to make! 

Do you have Crocs and Jibbitz? Tell me how you accessorize yours!

What do you think of our round-up of the best casual sandals? Did we miss any of your favorite styles? Let us know in the comments below.