How to Style the Wedge Sandal—10 Outfits to Recreate Now
Wedges are back—and chicer than ever.
Reported by Vogue.
Every major shoe moment this summer traces its DNA back to the same decade: the '90s. The strappy sandal, the flip-flop kitten heel, the barely-there everything — it's all a revival, and it's all deliberate. But the style with arguably the most satisfying return? The wedge. Once filed under "beach vacation or bust," the wedge sandal has been fully rehabilitated, and the runways made sure of it.
According to Vogue, Khaite designer Cate Holstein put the wedge at the center of her spring 2026 collection, styling sculptural silhouettes against printed dresses and tailored trousers — a far cry from the cork-soled casualness of its early-aughts predecessor. Labels like Le Monde Béryl, St. Agni, Jude, and Neous have followed with their own stripped-back takes, proving that the once-polarizing shoe has quietly become a serious contender.
Why the Wedge Works Right Now
The appeal is partly practical. A wedge delivers height without the instability of a stiletto, which makes it the rare elevated shoe that actually survives a day of walking. It reads dressed-up or dressed-down depending entirely on what you put with it — Neous's black T-strap with a silk tank and Chloé belt hits differently than the same silhouette with denim Bermudas and a ringer tee. The range is the point. Christopher Esber's red wedges bring heat to lace-trimmed shorts; Maryam Nassir Zadeh's PVC version can anchor a vacation dress or office suiting with equal conviction. Alaïa's raffia thong sandals blur the line between resort and runway. None of these feel like compromise dressing.
The strongest pairings lean into contrast — something fluid or relaxed up top, the wedge providing structure below. Think Faithfull's butter-yellow balloon pants with an Aeyde ankle-strap in burgundy, or Le Monde Béryl's woven mules with a crisp white poplin dress and a barn jacket. The shoe does the grounding work so everything else can move freely. Texture matters too: raffia, suede, cork, and PVC are all in rotation, and mixing them with unexpected accessories — a jade beaded bracelet, a raffia belt, embellished coin jewelry — is exactly how this trend avoids reading costumey.
The wedge has always been functional. What's new is that it's also fashion — and that distinction is exactly why it's worth paying attention to now.
Read the original at Vogue.
