Chic Comfy Sandals for Grown Women
On Instagram, I was asked if I had ever written on Wardrobe Oxygen about comfortable and stylish sandals for us grown-ass women. While I have raved about my favorite travel sandals, shared the best brown sandals for women earlier this year, and am a Birkenstock devotee, I haven't written about chic comfy sandals for grown women in a very long time.
In fact, it had been five years since my last roundup and all the links were broken. It's 2025, it's time to remedy this situation with stylish, supportive, and comfortable sandals great for travel, long days on your feet, and everyday.
Chic Comfy Sandals for Grown Women
I want to be honest with you, late summer is not the best time of year to shop for sandals. It may not even be Labor Day, but retailers are preparing for fall, and the stores are full of loafers, boots, corduroy, and leather. I cannot guarantee the shoes I recommend today will be in stock tomorrow. So I am going to be more general than usual, focusing on styles, colors, silhouettes, and retailers so this can be a guide even if it's the wrong season.
Sézane | multicolored Bared | gold Bared | Rockport | Margaux | Taos | St. Agni | Vivaia | Vaneli
When it comes to price, this can actually be a great time to shop. If your size is in stock, there's a good chance it's on sale. You can find remainders of the season for less on Amazon, eBay, 6pm, and DSW, and like-new or still new options on resale sites like Mercari, eBay, Poshmark, and The RealReal.
Coach | Ancient Greek Sandals | C. Paravano | Sorel | Rag & Bone | Alohas | Aetrex | Bared
As grown women, we don't buy the hottest trend every single season. We buy chic and stylish options that look contemporary, but not so trend-specific they're passé the following year. My focus is on styles that are chic now, but will remain chic next year and the year after.
Simple and Elevated or Uber Personality
Personally, when it comes to chic comfy sandals you'll reach for time and again, I say go uber simple yet elevated or uber personality. For example, as I mentioned, I am a Birkenstock fan. I have acquired a few pairs of my beloved Arizona sandals, but the two pairs that get the most wear year after year are my ecru smooth leather ones with gold buckles, and my tomato red patent pair with matching red buckles. One is simple, low-contrast to my skin, versatile, yet feels elevated with the polished leather and gleaming buckle. The other is my favorite color and the perfect punch of personality to most any look.
Personality can be most anything. Maybe a black sandal is the perfect fit with your edgy wardrobe. Maybe you don't feel yourself without a bit of sparkle, or a pop of pink or leopard print. Maybe your favorite handbag is suede so you want sandals in the same textile. When you own it, it's chic, so buy what brings you both comfort and joy.
Camper | Vagabond | Freda Salvador | Tory Burch | Hereu | FitFlop | Everlane | G.H.Bass
If In Doubt, Go Low Contrast
A low-contrast sandal means the color isn't that drastically different from your skintone. In general, going darker than your skintone will look more elegant and transition better into spring and fall than a lighter colored pair. While black and white feel like neutrals, even if your wardrobe is primarily these colors I believe you will get more mileage from a pair in a shade of tan, brown, or a soft metallic (meaning no chrome or super shiny).
Current Sandal Trends
The way to make comfort shoes look chic is to understand and cleanly incorporate current sandal trends. And if you aren't sure of the trends, keep those shoes as subtle as possible.
Throughout this article, I share collages explaing some of the current sandal trends and sharing comfortable sandals incorporating it. I hope these are helpful style guides as well as possibly introducing you to to a new-to-you retailer or style.
If you are ever wondering if a design element on your shoe is considered current or not is to head over to Revolve or Shopbop. If you can find at least five different shoes from different labels incorporating that trend, you're probably good. But if you can't find at least five pairs there is an awfully good chance that style detail is not doing you any favors.
Voile Blanche | The Walking Company | Teva | Danner | Sorel | FitFlop | Coach | KURU | Tory Burch
Sandal Style Advice For Special Footwear Needs
If you are unable to wear these sandal trends due to whatever reason, you have three options:
- Have no f*cks left to give in regard to this category. Rock on with your bad self, I support the hell out of you.
- Choose as subtle and simple as possible.
- Go outdoors.
Subtle and simple means all one color, including the sole and the stitching. It means no glazes or rhinetones or contrast stitching or contrast soles or statement buckles and other hardware. It is not trying to be a “dupe” of anything, it's just clean, cared for, highest quality you can afford basic-ass shoe. Smooth leather you can polish is always a good choice if you have options.
Outdoors means go the Teva/Chacao/Keen/Merrell route. Bring on the velcro, the webbing, the EVA. Don't try to make them look fancy, own the f*ck out of them. And you don't need to be a rock climber to wear them; just like Crocs and Docs and Danskos, stylish folks wear footwear trends without having the same job or lifestyle as the original customer. Heck, athletic sneakers have been on the runways in recent seasons and seen on the chicest young fashionistas. Functionality is fashionable in 2025.
While I haven't tried all of these sandals, I have either tried the footwear brand or have friends or you readers who have shared your success with it. There is a mix of shoes that have cushioning, are of more flexible of design, arch support, come in widths, are designed to help with foot issues, or are just known to be quality shoes that are often also comfy. If I missed a chic comfy sandal you feel is worth mentioning, please do so in the comments!
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I have two pairs of Mephisto fisherman sandals that I’ve owned for 20+ years. They’ve been resoled (by Mephisto) once, and they still look new. I polish them and condition the leather periodically, but I don’t baby them.
There are so many good options here. Thanks for updating this post! I am finding that I prefer more streamlined, sleeker sandals lately, as opposed to my Birks, although I do still love to wear them at times. I can’t walk long distances in Birks, though; the suede footbed rubs my foot so badly.
This summer, I picked up two pairs of Olukai sandals and they are amazing! They look sleek, especially since I went with a lighter shade on both pairs, and they are really comfortable for walking. I’ve worn them for hours while out sightseeing and had not issues with pain or blisters at all. Although their soles don’t look super-thick, they are very supportive.
I have those gold sandals from Bared, and I was BLOWN AWAY by them. They’re one of the most expensive pairs I own, but they are unbelievably comfortable. They are substantial and provide great support, and I wore them at a conference walking 10,000 steps a day the second time and had no blisters. I wish they had more stores outside of Australia, but I am very seriously considering new boots from them, even though it’s the very top of my price range.
So tempted to buy the Bared sandals. They have been on my list for a while. From your experience, as they are shipped from overseas did you experience any tariff/import charges? They would be an investment for me and then if I suddenly got a charge later on for a significant percentage it would sadly stop me from purchasing. Grateful for any response.
Awesome round-up of great looking sandals! I also have “fussy”feet and need arch support but I hopped on a great pair of sandals (Taos) before I even finished reading the whole post!
I’m sure it takes quite a while to do these kind of posts, but They are my favorite ones!!
I received a pair of red sandals that I didn’t order. I did, however, order a pair of brown shoes that did not have an open toe. and your ad on Facebook made them look like leather. I do not want these shoes. How do I return them?? I am probably on the wrong page about orders, but I am desperate.
Hi there, this site is not associated with chiccomfy. I am so sorry you received an order that didn’t match the description. Sadly, you are not the only one. There are comments below from others who have been scammed by chiccomfy.
Those darn Facebook and Instagram ads have scammed so many, not just with this brand but others too! As a warning to others who also read my comment: before shopping from an unknown retailer do some Googling. Google the brand in quotes and then reviews. And go to maybe page 2 of Google and find sites that are not the retailer to find out if it’s a scammy/fast fashion site.
If you shopped via PayPal or your credit card and are unable to return with chiccomfy or another retailer, your payment format can often refund you anyway due to misrepresentation. I was scammed by one of these ads a few years ago, what I got looked nothing like the photo. They refused to do a return so I took it to PayPal and got my money back without having to even return the item. Good luck to you!
I would add to your list Clark’s sandals (and booties). I think they have a few styles which look cute, I get compliments on them. And most importantly to me, they are comfortable for travel walking with great arch support and cushioning for my high arches. The best for my feet are their Cloudsteppers. Also consider Ecco and Romiko (a German maker) brands. You mentioned Aetrex which I also wear.
I have sent four e mail messages to your customer service department regarding instructions on how to return a pair of shoes. No one ever answers and returns my messages, Could you please respond
Hi Mary, I am not associated with the retailer chiccomfy. I am so sorry this happened to you. I recommend reaching out to your payment company and see if they can institute a refund since the company is not complying on their end. Good luck.
I ordered three pair of sandals on March 25th snd I still have not received my merchandise. Can I please get a reply on when I could expect them or do I need to dispute the charges ? Thank you
Hi June, I don’t sell the shoes I just suggest them. But do let me know what retailer you shopped from so we can be aware of who is shipping slow, and I’ll see if I know any details on my end!
Sandal season or just end of winter dryness calls for Flexitol heel balm. Comes from Australia via Walmart. The BEST bar none. Has a medicinal smell but lovely soft feet fast. BTW their lip balm is great for very chapped lips during the day. Ginger Sugar (Korean via Amazon) lip balm for overnight protection from retinol products on face.
These are all great. Would you consider a post on at-home pedicure? My feet are dry despite moisturizer and I’d like to work some magic to make them look good for spring/summer at home; I’m just not comfortable with the risk of an indoor nail salon yet. Basically: best foot creams? Best way to buff heels and trim nails? Necessary tools? What hype v. works (looking at you, Baby Feet), etc.
Since I was wearing Chacos before they were “fashion” does that make me a trend setter? Long live comfortable shoes!
You and me both, sister. I have other pairs, some of them on this list, but they are the pair I grab when I’m going anywhere further than the grocery store, or padding around the office. I need to order a back-up pair, although mine are still going strong after many, many miles, all over the world. I think they’ll survive the apocalypse, but I wouldn’t — not without my Chaco’s.
For anyone with plantar fasciitis, these have been a lifesaver for me, going on 20 years now. My favorites used to be Mephisto Helen, but the arch support isn’t what it used to be and, with the advent of arthritis in my big toe, having to keep them on my narrow feet started to hurt (toe gripping).
Brilliant post!
Oh, man! I can’t believe Tevas are back in style (or maybe never left?). I have a pair that’s at least 15 years old and they’re still going strong. Love!