I have recently seen all of the below, budget-friendly sandals recommended by several (very popular!!) Instagram accounts I follow:

https://www.saksfifthavenue.com/product/cole-haan-anica-lux-croc-embossed-leather-sandals-0400018348756.html

https://www.bloomingdales.com/shop/product/steve-madden-womens-mona-velcro-strap-flatform-sandals?ID=4635831

https://www.shopbop.com/irina-slides-sam-edelman/vp/v=1/1554243869.htm?os=false&breadcrumb=Shop+Women%27s%3EDesigner+Index%3ESam+Edelman%3EShoes%3ESandals&folderID=9884&colorSin=2077068590&fm=other-shopbysize-viewall&pf_rd_p=PLACEMENT_ID_PLACEHOLDER&pf_rd_r=IMPRESSION_REQUEST_ID_PLACEHOLDER&ref_=SB_PLP_PDP_W_BRAND_SAMED_9884_NB_8

https://www.nordstrom.com/s/finley-slide-sandal-women/7272631

https://www.nordstrom.com/s/lilah-knot-slide-sandal-women/7078759

https://www.nordstrom.com/s/birkenstock-arizona-big-buckle-slide-sandal-women/6763178

https://www.abercrombie.com/shop/us/p/knotted-suede-slide-sandals-50522320

https://kaanas.com/products/nosara-double-twisted-band-pool-slide-colordescription

Anonymous wrote:The shoes that I feel really elevate a summer outfit and that I get compliments on all the time are the Alexander Wang Amelia studded flats

https://theluxurycloset.com/us-en/women/alexander-wang-brown-leather-amelia-studded-flat-slides-size-375-p155251

I bought these Olukai sandals for comfort but was surprised how versatile they are to wear with a variety of outfits.

https://olukai.com/products/hila-womens-slide-sandals-black

I love the Olukai sandals! Do they run very narrow? I have wide feet and worry they won't fit!

Why is it so hard to find decent closed-toe sandals? Sometimes I don't want to get a pedicure, but I want to wear sandals!

Anonymous wrote:Agree that when OP asks for "cute" and "goes with everything", these suggestions are a terrifying look into the mind of the dcum fashion forum reader....

+1, sorry folks but these are not a replacement for what OP described.

Anonymous wrote:These: https://www.dsw.com/en/us/product/kelly-and-katie-norna-sandal/545813?activeColor=530

These are cute but they are fake leather -- are they comfortable?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Naot Kayla

I love Naot. These are a good option.

I'll second (or third) Naots. Not exactly fashion, but probably the best balance of real walking shoe + not hideous. I like these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07G295K7X/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1&psc=1

Naot 'Pixie' Sandal (Women) | Nordstrom

The top one is also a true walk-around-town shoe, second one I haven't tried for that long...

I have these:

https://www.lulus.com/products/tulum-trek-beige-heeled-sandals/596622.html

I also like these and am looking for them on sale:
https://www.zappos.com/p/lucky-brand-garna-tan/product/9895780/color/20

Born Mai sandals
Comfortable and I thrifted them for $10

One thing I'm learning on this thread is that other people have vastly different capacity for wearing very flat, thin-soled shoes than I do. I'm all for cute and can even do a little wedge or heel (little, though -- no more than like an inch and a half or I simply will not get enough wear out of them).

But there are so many flip flops or very flat soled sandals in this thread. They are cute! I would have worn them when I was 22. I am not put off by the prices since everyone has different price points, and I don't judge the Old Navy or Croc versions either.

But I could never make a shoe that flat and low my "go to" for anything. I would maybe take a pair on vacation to a resort where I was mostly walking from my room to the pool or beach or out to dinner on property. But that's it. Shoes like that kill my feet even if I just wear them to walk a few blocks to a restaurant or my kid's school, plus having my feet so close to a city street in the summer is just gross to me. I am in my 40s. I want arch support, some separation from the street/sidewalk, and straps that will be comfortable even in high heat when my feet tend to swell or after an hours stroll around a museum.

This is why people are defaulting to the brands deemed orthopedic or grandma -- Birkenstock, Naot, even (shudder) Keen. What I do is look exclusively at shoes with proper soles and arch support but then try to find the cutest possible version. Will they be the most flattering, dainty sandal in the world? Nope. But they'll be a reasonably cute version of something that will actually function the way I need a shoe to function. There are cute Birks and I like the Naot Kayla someone posted recently. For sportier shoes, Cole Haan or Sorel are decent options (I'd even look at Teva as they have cuter shoes than they used to).

Anyway, finding cute but comfortable sandals that are actual shoes and not just a piece of plastic or cardboard with straps is weirdly hard. Last year I must have tried on or ordered and returned 50 pairs of sandals, from brands like Nisolo, Sofft, Naot, etc. The divide between (1) cute but impractical, or (2) practical but hideous, is pretty hard to navigate. I wound up with a pair of Birkenstock Madrid sandals in a narrow fit and pale pink leather that I think work pretty well. No heel, but they are incredibly comfortable and go with almost everything in my summer wardrobe without being embarrassingly old lady-ish.

Anonymous wrote:I live in south Florida and work from home and I’m lazy as heck, but I always like to look passably cute…. So standard sandal is the Kelsi Dagger Ruthie nude (which is light pink) - it goes with literally everything - a pair of denim shorts and tee to Publix, or a maxi flowy sundress out to dinner. And I consistently get compliments on them. Why? Not chunky, have decent coverage and don’t make your feet look like hideous yeti feet.

They’re also super comfortable and no straps.

Unfortunately she discontinued them this year - just when mules and slides are more in…. So I will have to find a stand in!

But yeah the suggestions on here are “fug”.

Stay gold, Dcum!!

They remind me of these (at DSW/Rack every year last 3 years or so)…
https://www.dsw.com/en/us/product/steve-madden-karolyn-sandal/388270?activeColor=203&cm_mmc=CSE-_-GPS-_-G_LIA_Shopping_Sandals-_-LIA_Sandals&cadevice=m&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2oiP7e3C_gIVfRatBh1m7QziEAQYBCABEgIJlvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I keep seeing ads for this brand and think the flat sandals are cute but am wondering how comfortable they would be. Thoughts?

https://www.balielf.com/collections/all-elf-shoes/flat-sandals

Ooh these are gorgeous!

this person is the only one with balance of style and economic sense..... these are super cute and not outrageously priced. Love the blossom and the midsummer ones!

This style from Cole Haan for everyday, running around shoes with shorts, pants, jeans, very casual dresses, in a couple of different "color ways" from several seasons. So comfortable.

https://www.colehaan.com/womens-zerogrand-crisscross-sandal/W24378.html

I have a version of these and they’re awesome.

https://www.beekshop.com/products/kestrel-cognac?variant=43010759655575

These: https://www.dsw.com/en/us/product/kelly-and-katie-norna-sandal/545813?activeColor=530

Anonymous wrote:I keep seeing ads for this brand and think the flat sandals are cute but am wondering how comfortable they would be. Thoughts?

https://www.balielf.com/collections/all-elf-shoes/flat-sandals

Ooh these are gorgeous!