While Europe is in the throws of a summer heatwave, journalists feel duty bound to dispense advice on ‘how to stay cool in style’. There will be useful pointers on breezy cotton dresses and loose city shorts, but what the non-Vogue reports will omit to tell you, however, is that dressing through rising temperatures or packing for a hot holiday wherever you are in the world, actually begins and ends at pavement level, with a barely-there shoe.
What’s all the fuss about?
Danish creative consultant Pernille Teisbaek is just one of the street style stars we’ve spotted wearing lace-up heels, the sandal that’s been subtly taking over your Instagram feed, one step at a time. The ‘Paris Minimalist’ pair she’s been wearing on rotation (from the Paris couture shows, to her recent holiday to Crete) are by Saint Laurent. The appeal? “They work with everything from a mini dress to denim shorts and a swimsuit, which is my current summer uniform,” she texts from Copenhagen, noting, “they elongate the legs, which we all want :)”.
How do we style lace-up sandals?
Teisbaek isn’t alone in her love of the new lace-up heels. Vogue’s street style reportage from the Paris couture shows offers a crash course in how to wear vacation-mood looks in the city, with an array of spaghetti-strap sandals taking centre stage. The baggy cargo trousers and mid-length pleated skirt, which you probably already own, take on an airier feel thanks to those barely-there and, crucially, comfy heels. The fact that Teisbaek wore hers to Jacquemus’ 10th anniversary show, which meant navigating the undulating terrain of a Provençal lavender field (and an afterparty dancefloor, obviously) without issue, is a testament to their 24/7 wearability. Our advice: pair yours with the most straightforward of ankle-length slip dresses and add a suitably oversized striped shirt – as pictured.
I’m sold. Where can I get of a pair of lace-up sandals?
While the fashion industry is notorious for ‘thank you, next-ing’ its summer stock far too soon, there are plenty of versions on the lace-up heeled sandal theme available now, with style mileage to last beyond autumn. London-based designers Malone Souliers and Roksanda Ilinčić have collaborated on a spaghetti-strap heel with a covetable Nineties-ish square toe. If flats are more your thing, LA-based designer Emme Parsons does an elegant tie-up heel-less sandal that slides effortlessly into a weekend bag, and elsewhere, Paul Andrew’s strappy kitten heels are currently on sale on Net-A-Porter (if you’re quick). The only thing left to do now, is to book an express pedicure appointment on your lunch break.
