The Best Sandals to Wear With Jeans, According to a Fashion Editor

There are many joys associated with summer, but it’ll come as no surprise to anyone reading this that most of team Who What Wear UK’s joys are wardrobe-related. And while I love a dress, skirt or linen trouser look as much as my colleagues, as someone who basically lives in denim, I especially love that, in the UK, I don’t have to give up my jeans when the warm weather rolls around. If anything, they get a new lease of life, switching from being an essential base paired with stacks of knits and heavy coats, to a versatile, transitional go-to that goes beautifully with breezy shirts and light tanks.

But the part I always struggle with? Footwear. While I love my trainer-and-jeans combination, it can start to feel a bit tired, and when it’s that little bit more sunny than usual, I want something that feels more appropriate for summer-adjacent weather. Which brings me to the somewhat surprising combination of sandals and jeans.

Like the sleeveless jumper, the sandal and jean pairing is a transitional season special, best saved for those days when it’s sunny and warm, but with that hint of chill in the air that us Brits know all too well. By day, a flip-flop or Birkenstock works perfectly with a wide-leg jean and shirt outfit. For the evening, a strappy kitten heel or an elevated slide can make a jeans outfit feel that bit more elevated. Either way, a sandal offers that kind of effortless, relaxed style that compliments denim beautifully and manages to work with almost every cut of jean.