15 Platform Sandals to Help You Ease Back Into ‘Real’ Shoes

We all know that summer brings the perfect excuse to shop for new, seasonal-friendly shoes—but a carefree throwback like platform sandals seems particularly appropriate for a season of stepping up and out like never before (or at least, like you haven’t in the last year). There’s always room in your closet for comfortable flat-soled footwear, but recently the platforms we loved in the ’90s and early ’00s have come back in every size, shape, and form—from Spice Girl–inspired sneakers to seriously stacked flip-flops like the one Julia Stiles wore in 10 Things I Hate About You.

The great thing about platforms of any kind, really, is that they always make a statement, go with practically any outfit, and let you retain some of that comfort your feet have grown accustomed to while cozying up on the couch wearing your best house slippers. So if you’re excited to walk around outside in the sunshine wearing a shoe that isn’t a fluffy slipper—but you aren’t quite ready, or down, for stilettos just yet—platform flip-flops may just be what you and your shoe closet need.

From nostalgia-inducing Steve Madden slides to a more outside-friendly version of the popular pandemic shoe of choice (we’re talking about Ugg’s Fluff Yeah slide), we’ve rounded up 15 of the most stylish platform sandals and flip flops to wear this summer.