Most summer shoe guides are a list of things you'll wear twice.
They chase the season's flashiest looks — neon block heels, novelty prints, anything that photographed well in March — and say nothing about whether any of it will survive July. By August, you've got three pairs of sad shoes and a vague regret about the whole thing.
This guide is different. Summer 2026 is producing a real shift in what people are buying: natural materials, hand-crafted construction, shapes that work outside a single outfit. Here are the 7 trends that are genuinely worth your money this summer.
1. Raffia Loafers: The Casual Shoe That's Taken Over
Walk into any coastal town this summer and you'll see them. Raffia loafers have moved from "interesting niche" to quiet wardrobe staple, and the reason is straightforward: they work.
A well-made pair of men's raffia loafers feels nothing like the stiff, boxy loafers of ten years ago. The hand-woven raffia is light and breathable — your foot stays cool in July heat instead of baking inside a closed upper. The texture has a warmth to it, somewhere between cream and sun-bleached wheat, that leather simply can't replicate.
They slot easily between formal and relaxed. Linen trousers, wide-leg chinos, tailored shorts — raffia loafers read intentional without requiring the outfit to be built around them.
2. Men's Raffia Mules: Summer's Most Practical Shoe
Men's mules got a quiet upgrade this season. The versions worth buying are handcrafted, with real sole construction you can feel when you pick them up — not the flimsy versions that fold under the heel by week two.
The best men's raffia mules slip on and off without ceremony and handle everything from a terrace lunch to an evening walk along the harbor. There's no breaking-in period, no blisters on the back of the heel. You put them on and they work.
Wear them with wide shorts, light chinos, or rolled-up denim. They don't need much — which is exactly why they earn a place in the regular rotation.
3. Women's Raffia Sandals: Flat, Open, and Built for Real Days
The strappy heeled sandal had its moment. Summer 2026 is the season of flat raffia sandals — open-toe, woven across the foot, and built for hours on your feet rather than twenty minutes on a terrace.
What separates women's raffia sandals from a standard flat is the material. Sun-bleached raffia has a genuine warmth to it — that honey-and-cream palette that works with almost any summer color story. And because each pair is hand-woven, there's a slight irregularity that gives them character. Two pairs from the same batch look almost, but not quite, identical.
Pair them with a wide-leg linen jumpsuit, a cotton midi dress, or just straight-cut jeans and a white shirt. They complete the outfit without dominating it.
4. Open-Weave Slides: The Travel Shoe You Actually Want
For trips, open-weave slides have become the default shoe for people who want to move through a summer vacation without overthinking their feet. They pack flat, they look right at the airport and on the beach, and they transition across the whole trip without needing to be swapped out.
The ones worth buying are made from real woven materials — not synthetic weave that frays at the seams the first time humidity gets to it. Look for hand-stitching at the sole and enough structure to handle cobblestones without turning into a liability.
This is a shoe for getting places, and the best versions disappear into your luggage and into your day.
5. Women's Raffia Mules: The Heel-Free Statement
Raffia mules for women have moved firmly into everyday-essential territory for 2026. They dress up or down depending on what you put around them, they're comfortable on a long afternoon, and the woven upper gives you something to look at without requiring an outfit built around them.
The best women's raffia mules sit on a low footbed — enough structure to elongate the leg without tilting your balance forward. Wear them with straight-cut denim, cropped trousers, or a silk slip dress. They're one of those shoes that looks more considered than they ask of you, which is the best kind.
6. Men's Leather Sandals: The Pair That Gets Better Every Summer
There's always one pair of sandals that ends up being the shoe a man reaches for from June through September. For 2026, the shape is simple — two or three straps, a structured footbed, no overbuilding.
Good men's leather sandals develop something over time. The cognac darkens around the edges, the strap takes the precise shape of your foot, the sole wears in a particular way that makes the shoe feel made for you. They're the opposite of the fast-fashion sandal that looks fine on day one and forgotten by day ten.
Wear them with shorts, with light chinos, with a linen shirt left open. They don't need to be styled — they do it themselves.
7. Natural Straw Bags: The Accessory That Ties Everything Together
This last one isn't a shoe, but it belongs on this list because it's what makes the rest of the list work as a wardrobe rather than a series of individual pieces.
Natural straw bags — totes, crossbodies, bucket shapes — have held their place for several summers now and aren't fading. The reason is the same reason raffia shoes are everywhere: they look handmade because they are. You can see the craft in the weave. No two look quite identical, which is rare in a world of stamped-out accessories.
The handcrafted straw bags worth owning are made by people who've been doing this for generations. Pick one up and you can feel the difference — the density of the weave, the weight, the way the stitching holds the shape. That's not a marketing line. That's what you notice when you handle the real thing.
The Common Thread: Why These Trends Are Lasting
Every style on this list shares something. Natural materials. Real construction. Shapes that read as considered without trying too hard.
The shift toward this kind of quality isn't a passing moment — it's the result of a few years of people getting tired of replacing things. A pair of shoes made by the artisans behind Isli & Tisli in Marrakech will still look like itself in September. The weave holds. The sole doesn't delaminate. The color deepens rather than washing out.
That's the trend worth following.
Ready to find your summer pair? Browse men's raffia loafers or discover women's raffia sandals — both are the kind of summer shoes you'll reach for on repeat, not just once.