Summer Shoe Review: 15 Cute, Comfy Pairs For Women

Who’s still searching for comfortable and stylish summer shoes? I am SO happy, you guys–SO SO happy– that many of you are loving the comfort shoe “thing!” It was just a little over a year ago that I wrote my first post for The Mom Edit, and I was literally sick to my stomach when Gwen texted that she hit the “publish” button. I had no idea if any of the TME readers would be interested in comfortable shoes, and I was absolutely terrified about putting my very opinionated thoughts on shoes out there. It turns out that yes, there are some of you who very clearly aren’t interested in the comfort shoe convo (or only interested in the summer—haha, that one was for you, Elizabeth!), but there are a ton of you who LOVE comfort shoes all year long for all kinds of reasons. Yay! 

There was a ton of interest in the travel shoe post, as well as the summer sandal comfort shoe round-up, so this is a follow-up to those posts. I tried on an embarrassing number of shoes in prepping for those posts and remembered to take selfies from different angles for at least some of them. So for any of you still looking for summer shoes, I included below my personal pros and cons of each. You’ll find EILEEN FISHER, Gentle Soul, UGG, Fly London, Vionic, Born, Pon, Allbirds, Melissa, Isle Jacobsen, FitFlop, MIA, Dr. Scholls, Sorels, and Naturalizer…and if you’re looking for a mini-review of the clogs I tried, go here. Phew! This is yet another Linzi MONSTER post, so keep scrolling to find the ones you’re looking for, or just scroll to the end to shop them all.

At Nordstrom | At Zappos (some colors)

Pros: The style is beautiful. EILEEN FISHER rarely disappoints in terms of classy design that also reads current and stylish. A TME favorite are these EILEEN FISHER sports, but I personally like these strappy ones better and am kind of dying over this red one that’s on super sale. The thinner mixed width straps are more flattering and interesting I think. The stretchy straps feel great on. With the snug straps on top and the higher zippered back, they feel very supportive (perfect for running after kiddos). This color is also really pretty in person, and they have a range of other really pretty and somewhat unusual shades as well. When you put this shoe on, it feels high quality—the zipper, the straps, the material…all good.

Pros: I am loving Gentle Souls by Kenneth Cole these days for their cool shoe designs and attention to comfort. These are super cushy and comfortable. One of the straps has a tiny bit of elastic, and it’s just enough that you can pull the shoe strap on without unbuckling (huge bonus in my opinion). Love the look, too.

Cons: I’m always concerned about shoes with white bottoms. They get dirty easily. Not THAT big of a deal and easy to wipe off, but anytime I wear a shoe with a contrasting white bottom, I sometimes look down and am disappointed that they don’t look as fresh as when I first got them. 

Pros: These are super-soft, super-cushy, and the color is so super-pretty in person. I really like the style and look of these and am a huge fan of the color I’m wearing, as well as the red. The red shade is perfect….not too in-your-face red (if that makes sense).

Cons: They stretch out a bit, so if you have very narrow feet, these may not be for you. I personally don’t love slide shoes. They don’t feel as secure as these UGGs with the back strap (especially when you need to keep up with wild kiddos). Unfortunately this season, though, the UGGs with the back strap don’t come in as many fabulous colors as the slides.

Pros: Oh Fly London—how I love you! You make SUCH fabulously fun shoes! All Fly London wedges fit me the same—-super-comfortable and when I’m walking, they feel more like a sneaker than a heel because of the rubber supportive wedge. I also love that they use hidden velcro for easy off and on (instead of having to mess with the buckle). This color is brilliant…a really fun redish-orangish that makes a true statement. For most Fly Londons I have purchased, I find I wear them year after year because the brand doesn’t necessarily follow traditional fashion trends. They just kind of do their own thing, which means they’re never really on-trend or off-trend, and therefore become longtime closet pieces for me.

Cons: Pricey for a statement shoe, and I know the style isn’t for everyone.

At Nordstrom | At Amazon (on sale some sizes)

Pros: Okay guys, these are ridiculously comfortable. I didn’t keep them because I have another pair of shoes that are similar in style, but I’m regretting it. I’m actually considering ordering them again (maybe in brown or another similar style) and doing a full review post of how they hold up walking all day long. These were the most comfortable shoe I tried. They perfectly molded to the arch of my foot and felt like they would be perfect for city walking.

Cons: The style is fine. Nothing terribly exciting or interesting, but nothing bad either. Another negative is there’s no elastic on the strap, so I had to use the buckle each time I tried them on –I know, I know…how lazy am I?? But it’s a “thing” if you are a shoes-off household and constantly slipping shoes off and on. I also know that some people find Vionics feel TOO supportive– the footbed on this pair IS more firm and supportive (rather than cushy and bouncy). I’m between sizes usually, and I should have sized down 1/2 size in these. 

Pros: I’ve been wearing these as my go-to summer travel sandal. They’ve been awesome. They are lightweight and take up no room in the suitcase. The light gold is really pretty in person, and it would go well with a lot of different skin tones. All of the other colors are really pretty in person too. They’re a thin flat shoe, so they aren’t going to provide a ton of arch support, but they did feel significantly more supportive than the Pons. They also are a lot cushier than the Pons. I was pleasantly surprised with the rubber bottom sole—it had a bit more traction than I expected during a recent trip where I was walking in them on slippery dirt paths.

Cons: They’re flat, so they’re not THE most flattering shoes ever for those of us with short legs and I like to say “stronger and sturdier” (i.e. bigger) ankles. Wedges are more flattering for sure when it comes to elongating my legs when wearing dresses, but I apparently don’t care (ha!) because I’m wearing them anyway ALL the time. 

Pros: The leather is gorgeous. These are a really pretty shade of gray and come in a beautiful range of equally pretty colors. I really like this stye for a casual effortless cool look. I’ve seen several people wearing them with beautiful linen dresses as well as jeans and a tee and they ooze “I’m not trying that hard, but I still look fabulous” vibe. Also, as suggested by a reader who loves these, they are perfect for when you are in desperate need of a pedicure.

Cons: I didn’t find them that comfortable. They are very flat and don’t have any cushion or arch support. They were soft and I don’t think they would rub in weird ways, but not enough support for me.

Pros: I may have rolled my eyes a bit when I first saw Shana’s Allbirds. I thought they looked plain and boring. But then I was getting ready for a family trip, started to panic about what sneakers I was going to pack, and then ordered these. They are ridiculously soft, ridiculously lightweight, and slide on and off with ridiculous ease. They are pretty much THE ideal shoe for airplanes and long travel days in the car. I am also very tempted to try their new flats–super cute.

Cons: For me, a con is that they ARE fairly plain. For others, that would be a pro. They also don’t have a ton of traction—I slid a bit on dirt paths during my travel. Finally, they don’t have AS much arch support as I typically like (I like A LOT of support). So you may say…Linzi, why don’t you just put your Superfeet in these?  Well, the thing is, the Allbirds insole is kind of their “thing”…it’s super cushy and wool and cozy (but not hot somehow), and I wasn’t willing to change it out on vacation because they feel SO good. Now that I’m home, I switched them out and yes, they feel more supportive, but it’s not quite right, so I’m leaving the wool cushy ones in. With all those cons, I somehow still really do like them overall and have been wearing them a lot.

Pros: I really like the style and color combo of these and wear them all the time. They’re cute and seem to go with everything. Also love that Melissa shoes can get wet with no problems. The footbed is cushy and feels great–I just walked a mile to dinner and a mile back and they still felt fantastic (see note below, though, about walking ALL day long.) I haven’t had any “inappropriate noise problems” that some plasticy/rubbery shoes have when your feet get sweaty/wet. I hear a tiny slap slap when I’m walking (but nothing terrible) and if I wiggle my toes a lot and they’re wet or sweaty, I hear a little squeaking (but again..nothing terrible).

Cons: Although I love the style, they’re not my go-to’s if I’m going to be walking the city all day long. My feet are a little (not a lot, though) achy after walking for several hours on pavement and the between-the-toe thing is okay, but feels less okay after lots and lots and lots of walking. It’s a very rubbery shoe, so the material isn’t as soft as some of my leather and fabric shoes. 

At Nordstrom | At Zappos | At Zappos (Metallics)

Pros: These were a surprise find. I was in Nordstrom looking for wedges and came across these Ilse Jacobsens. These are WAY cuter in person. Hard to describe, but the white jagged sole is a tiny bit edgy and doesn’t read as conservative or as preppy as the photos. They are super soft and style wise, they’re a great cross between a sneaker and a flat. Because they are a bit dressier than most sneakers, they can easily be worn with skirts, but my favorite way to wear them is with denim. They also come in really good color options–I had a hard time deciding.

Cons: Is it possible there are none?? I guess maybe the style isn’t for everyone.

At FitFlop (on sale) | At Amazon (some sizes/colors on sale)

Pros: These are old, but they’re my favs and I snapped some selfies, so I’m including them. When asked about the MOST comfortable flip flops, I always recommend these. I can walk the city in these all day long and feel fine. When I get home after wearing new shoes that I’m trying out that aren’t super comfy, I put these on to treat my feet. They’re cushy and soft and supportive and make my feet very happy. These are my summer shoe default. Amazon also has silver and bronze which are really pretty.

Cons: The biggest negative is they’re clunky. They’re fine for me, but some of my skinnier ankled friends complain that they look too big and bulky on them. They do have many styles that aren’t as clunky, but the clunky ones are my favs. Also, they’re a bit pricey for basic flip flops in my opinion… until you try them on and you then realize they’re totally worth it. 

Pros: Very reasonably priced. I’ve been wanting to try a pair of cushy sandals by MIA because they get such good reviews for comfort and are way less expensive than most comfort brands. I thought these were cute, and I was in to the white as a fun pop for summer. Very soft, very comfy, with a nice cushy footbed.

Cons: I should have tried these MIAs instead. I can’t wear slides. They just slip off of my feet when I’m walking. I’ll have to try again with this brand. I will also try a 1/2 size bigger–they were a tad short in the length.  

Pros: SO super cute! I love the mix of tan, wood grain heel, and cheetah print. So fun!  I also love that they are made by Dr. Scholls and meet my comfy standards for a wedge.  

Cons: The material on the strap was pretty stiff. I’m guessing it would break in with time, but it was an instant turn off when I tried them on.  Also, size up if you are between sizes. I needed a half size bigger. 

At Sorel (on sale) |At Zappos (on sale)

Pros: Other people LOVE these! Many readers and reviewers think these are fabulous. Reader Heather reported that she wore them all over Europe with shorts, skirts, jeans, and dresses and they were perfect. They have an extremely secure feeling with the elastic straps, and the bottoms have really good tread, so I imagine these would be great for being prepared for slippery surfaces, impromptu hikes while traveling, or a bit of rock scrambling with the kiddos.

Cons: Too flat for me and not enough arch support. I also was hoping that these would be “water-friendly” since they’re made by Sorel, but after getting them I enquired and Sorel said they may do okay in rain and light showers, but they weren’t built for water. 

Pros: These are my newest heel and I love them! I wouldn’t walk in them all day long (that’s ridiculous talk), but I’ve worn them to special events and even date night and walked several blocks and have been fine.  They’re high, but the heel is thick and sturdy and they have decent support (for a heel).

Cons: More support and more comfortable than any other heel I’ve EVER tried, but they’re still heels! I’m clearly not walking the whole city in these. 

If you want to see all the shoes I talk about all together, take a look here:

Source: Themomedit.com

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