Whether you’re cranking up the step count on a city break or hopping between back-to-back weekend plans, you don’t want uncomfortable footwear to get in between you and a fun-filled summer. While best-selling trainers, such as Puma Speedcats and Adidas Sambas, are a staple you’ll see in every beer garden, park festival and Ryanair flight over the next few months, the below sneaker alternatives are just as comfortable as any of your well-worn trainers and won’t have you furiously Googling your nearest pharmacy for an emergency stash of Compeeds.
When it comes to comfort-led summer shoes, we recommend you lean into “dad” footwear. Tevas’ velcro sandals have shed their “city walking tour” reputation and have been repositioned as a stylish, but functional, shoe you can wear to traverse rocky coastlines or Lime Bike your way around a city. Within the same category we have Birkenstock’s Boston Clogs – backless, ergonomic loafers with a moulded, cork footbed and sturdy sole, they are podiatrist and Vogue editor approved, which is in itself quite the feat. Plus, clogs have become this summer’s status shoe, with Ancient Greek Sandals in particular delivering plenty of twists on the ’70s classic.
While ballet pumps continue to be a solid stock-shifter for all retailers, this summer several designers have reinvented the loafer to make it a softer, more comfortable flat. Traditionally these are stiff shoes that require some serious investment (and layers of skin) to break them in, however the loafers in the spring/summer 2025 collections were more relaxed and less structured, feeling more like slippers. Miu Miu, for example, softened traditional penny loafers with an elastic backing and supple leather that moulds beautifully to the feet. If you want to wear something other than your Sambas this year, see below for six stylish, but comfortable, alternatives to sneakers.
