Yes, Fisherman Sandals Are Still Cool—Here's How to Style Them for 2026

Reported by Harper's Bazaar.

The fisherman sandal is not having a moment — it's been having one for roughly two thousand years. Rooted in ancient Roman design, the woven, cage-like silhouette is one of those rare footwear icons that refuses to be pinned down by season, decade, or dress code. According to Harper's Bazaar, the sandal's longevity comes precisely from its contradictions: traditional yet current, elegant yet slightly eccentric, summer-coded but genuinely wearable year-round. Hailey Bieber wears them. Katie Holmes wears them. Your impossibly chic grandmother wears them. That's not a trend — that's a dynasty.

The classic form comes in neutral leathers — tan, cream, cognac — but the more interesting conversation right now is happening in rubber and resin. Ancient Greek Sandals makes jelly fisherman sandals in a spectrum of colors plus a versatile clear pair that works harder than it has any right to. The clear version in particular earns its keep: wear it poolside with a bikini and an oversized cover-up, or let it quietly punctuate a white-on-white moment — think a pointelle tank tucked into cotton boxers — without competing for attention.

Eight Ways In

The real argument for fisherman sandals is their adaptability across a full summer wardrobe. A striped seersucker dress in a saturated green? Done. A linen mini with a straw bag and a printed scarf knotted through your hair for full Positano fantasy? Absolutely. For the office-adjacent crowd, a city bag and a pared-back palette keep things desk-appropriate without sacrificing personality. And for anyone leaning into quiet cowgirl energy — a full skirt with leather trim, a lucky horseshoe bracelet — the slingback version of the sandal does the referencing without going costume.

The most underrated pairing might be the most effortless one: a romantic printed dress, gold jewelry kept delicate, a straw tote, and nothing else. No overthinking, no styling gymnastics. Or go the sporty route — wide-leg linen pants, a striped top, caged sandals — for the kind of look that reads intentional whether you're at lunch or running three errands back to back. The through-line in every iteration is that the sandal does the work, which is exactly what a great shoe is supposed to do.

Two millennia of staying power isn't an accident — the fisherman sandal earns its place in your summer rotation by being the rare shoe that makes every outfit feel like it was thought through, even when it wasn't.

Read the original at Harper's Bazaar.