Thong Sandals Are Fashion's Hardest-Working Heels This Season
- Sanjna Thakeria
- 9 hours ago
- 2 min read
Hailey Bieber wearing The Row’s Sacha Thong Sandals
Give a girl the right pair of heels, and she’ll conquer the world. Give her a comfortable pair, and she’ll wear them everywhere. If you grew up watching FRIENDS, chances are you’ve already seen one of fashion’s biggest shoe comebacks. Long before luxury labels embraced the elevated flip-flop, Rachel Green was wearing minimalist thong sandals with slip dresses, satin skirts and tiny tank tops, making them one of the defining shoes of the ‘90s. Three decades later, the silhouette is back, only this time, it’s swapped Central Perk for luxury runways, celebrity wardrobes and designer price tags.
(L) Gianvito Rossi; (R) Bottega Veneta
Turns out, the biggest glow-up this season belongs to the thong sandal. Once reserved for beach holidays and hurried coffee runs, it’s now front row at fashion week. Alaïa, Amina Muaddi, Bottega Veneta and Gucci have all embraced the silhouette, styling sleek leather thong sandals with sharp tailoring, fluid dresses and polished separates instead of beach bags and bikinis. Somewhere between fashion’s obsession with quiet luxury and our collective refusal to wear uncomfortable shoes, the thong sandal has quietly become the hardest-working heel in our wardrobes.
Kylie Jenner wearing Manolo Blahnik’s Black Nappa Leather Thong Sandals
If anyone has convinced me to add a pair of thong heels to my cart, it’s Hailey Bieber. The model has made The TOTEME flip-flop heel sandals feel as essential as an oversized blazer or the perfect white tank, styling them with everything from vintage slip dresses to relaxed tailoring. Kylie Jenner was also recently spotted in Manolo Blahnik’s kitten-heel version for a courtside date. While Tate McRae proved the silhouette isn’t reserved just for summer, pairing patent leather pairs with layered autumn dressing during a night out in New York.
Celebrities continue to embrace the minimalist thong sandal with everything from dresses to off-duty separates
Maybe that’s the appeal. The thong sandal doesn’t ask you to reinvent your wardrobe, it simply works with the one you already have. It makes an outfit feel a little more effortless yet elevated — baggy jeans suddenly look less casual, a slip dress feels dinner-date ready, and even a crisp white shirt with tailored trousers takes on that understated polish fashion can’t seem to get enough of. It’s the kind of shoe that makes people ask where your heels are from; not because they’re loud, but because they make everything else look better.
From errands to courtside seats, airport looks to dinner reservations, few heels work harder than the thong sandal. They’re not the kind of heels you’ll be desperate to kick off halfway through the evening. They’re the pair you’ll pack for every holiday, slip on for coffee runs, wear to work and reach for on date night.
Ultimately, every wardrobe deserves its hardest-working heel and a cute pedicure. Right now, that’s the thong sandal. Discover our favourites of the season.
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