Every fashion editor can tell you that shoes are arguably the most important (and often overlooked) part of what makes or breaks an outfit. We scour through Instagram and watch endless looks come down the runway, but if the shoes aren’t right, it’s lost its luster in a matter of seconds. Call us extra if you will, but I know that we aren’t the only shoe-obsessed people out there—the fashion set and our dear readers (yes, you) are known to love a good pair of shoes just as much as we do. So when it comes to shoes that have our stamp of approval, which ones are currently top of mind for us? While there’s always a roaster of great shoe trends worth mentioning, none have held our attention as much as the return of platform sandals.
Platforms made their triumphant return over the past two seasons impart due to cult-favorite brands like Versace and Staud championing the style. But upon further inspection, you can see that the rise in popularity of this shoe can be attributed to its versatility and variation. Unlike other shoe trends, there’s more freedom to make this style work for you—albeit opting for a pair of sky-high platform heeled sandals or chunky platform thong sandals. On top of that, you can style them with just about anything, making it arguably one of the best shoe trends to buy right now. But you don’t have to take my word for it—ahead, you’ll find 19 platform sandal outfits that can be worn this summer and some that are even great for colder weather. Plus, we’ve shopped out the key pieces you’ll need to re-create the look for yourself.