After sharing the summer pieces French women return to again and again, I wanted to focus on the detail that often makes the whole outfit: the shoes. In summer, when clothes become simpler and there are fewer layers to play with, shoes matter even more. A linen dress, a white shirt, light denim, or a pair of wide-leg trousers can feel entirely different depending on the shoes you wear with them.
If you are subscribed to my private Substack, Les Édits Privés, you may already know one of the small rules I use when building a French wardrobe: ease, structure, and finish. Ease makes an outfit feel natural. Structure gives it shape. Finish is the final detail (often a beautiful pair of shoes) that makes everything feel intentional. This is why I love summer shoes so much. They can make a simple outfit feel more polished, more feminine, more effortless, without adding much at all.
So today, I’ve gathered a small edit of chic, comfortable summer shoes to wear with everything you already own, the kind of pairs French women rely on all season long.
Some links in this article are shared with compensation from Margaux and Banana Republic. It’s not sponsored, all writing and choices are my own. If you choose to buy something through my links, I may earn a small commission, always at no extra cost to you. Merci beaucoup.
1. The Minimal Leather Sandals
The minimal leather sandal is perhaps the most useful summer shoe of all. It is simple enough to wear with almost everything, yet elegant enough to make even the most effortless outfit feel considered. I love it with a linen dress, a long cotton skirt, relaxed trousers, or even a pair of light-wash jeans. For me, the best versions are not too embellished, not too heavy, and not too delicate either. A thin strap, a beautiful leather, a soft neutral shade, and a shape that lets the foot breathe. It is the kind of shoe that disappears slightly, but in the best possible way, allowing the whole outfit to feel lighter, easier, and more refined.
2. The Ballet Flats
Ballet flats have always had that very French ability to make an outfit feel feminine without making it feel dressed up. In summer, I especially love them in softer textures: suede, woven leather, mesh, raffia-inspired details, or delicate Mary Jane shapes. They bring a little charm to very simple pieces. They are beautiful with cropped jeans, white trousers, a cotton dress, or a linen skirt. They also have a way of making summer outfits feel more urban, which I love. When sandals feel too bare, and loafers feel a little too structured, ballet flats often sit exactly in the middle: light, pretty, easy, and quietly polished.
3. The Espadrilles
Espadrilles are one of those summer shoes that instantly bring texture to an outfit. I do not think of them as purely “vacation” shoes. The right pair can look very chic in the city as well, especially when worn with simple pieces: a white shirt, wide-leg trousers, a cotton dress, or faded denim. What I look for is a pair that feels relaxed but not too rustic. A beautiful canvas, a soft crochet texture, a low wedge, a delicate lace-up detail, or a pale summer shade can make them feel more refined. They are especially lovely when an outfit needs a little warmth, softness, or that easy southern French feeling without becoming too bohemian.
4. The Suede Loafers and Boat Shoes
I love a suede loafer or boat shoe in summer because it brings a little structure back into a season that can easily become too soft. When clothes are light, fluid, and often quite simple, a slightly more masculine shoe gives the outfit a beautiful balance. In lighter shades of beige, taupe, brown, or soft pink, they feel much more summery than a classic black loafer. I would wear them with white jeans, linen trousers, a simple shirt, or even a long skirt when I want the outfit to feel less precious. They are the kind of shoes that make summer dressing feel more grounded, still easy, but a little sharper.
5. The Low-Heeled Sandals and Slingbacks
For summer evenings, dinners, and occasions, I always like having a low heel that feels elegant but still walkable. Not a high heel that changes the whole mood of the outfit, but a small, graceful heel that simply gives a little lift. Low-heeled sandals and slingbacks are perfect for this. They make a simple dress feel more dressed, a pair of linen trousers feel more refined, and even relaxed denim feel intentional. I especially love them in soft neutrals, suede, satin, or pale shades that catch the light beautifully. They are, to me, the finishing touch: feminine, delicate, and just polished enough.
This week in Les édits Privés
If your wardrobe feels full, but nothing feels quite like you anymore, this week’s private Edit is for you.
In Edit No. 45: How to Rebuild Your Wardrobe When Nothing Feels Like You Anymore, I share a gentle French method for knowing what to keep, what to release, and how to rebuild around the woman you are now.
It is not about buying everything new. It is about understanding what still belongs, what no longer feels true, and how to create a wardrobe that feels clear, effortless, and quietly like you again.
