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These Fisherman Sandals Are the Key to Perfecting Nautical Style for Spring
The controversial dad shoe has never looked so chic.
Something funny is happening in footwear. Suddenly, all the cool girls are wearing styles once reserved for unstylish fathers on camping trips and family cruises: hiking sneakers, boat shoes, rubber flip-flops, fisherman sandals—what’s next, toe shoes? Thankfully, this season’s new arrivals received a chic makeover that makes them anything but your traditional dad shoes. Just take the best fisherman sandals as proof that the nautical classic is now surprisingly sophisticated.
Whether they’re from Prada, Tory Burch, or JW Anderson, this season’s iterations all feature interwoven straps that create the caged, T-bar silhouette characteristic of traditional fisherman sandals, but that’s about all they have in common with your grandpa’s velcro-strap versions. Sézane set its patent leather style atop high heels, and Vince opted for PVC straps that pay homage to the fisherman jelly sandals so many of us wore during our youth. Shop these trending styles and more, below.
For a modern take on the classic, try these sleek G.H. Bass fisherman sandals. The wide, interwoven leather straps don’t just lend a minimalist feel; they also make the walkable style even more comfortable. With time, they’ll stretch in all the right places and mold to your unique foot shape.
Sizes: 5-11
Colors: Black, Off-White, Tan
Materials: Leather upper, leather sole
Customer review: “Well worth the price. They’ve been crafted well, the leather feels like good quality, and they are comfortable off the bat without having to break them in.”
Prada Calf Leather Fisherman Sandals
Prada’s signature triangle logo adds a subtle air of luxury to this otherwise traditional fisherman style. Crafted in Italy from high-quality calf leather, it’s the type of shoe that only gets better as the years go by.
Sizes: EU 36-41
Colors: Nero, Bianco
Materials: Leather upper, leather sole
Tactile, sage green suede and a slingback silhouette give these JW Anderson sandals an easy-going feel. Contrast stitching and low-key logo embossing add a certain je ne sais quoi you’ll long to wear again and again.
Sizes: IT 35-42
Colors: Sage Green
Materials: Suede
You’ll notice fisherman sandal-like straps on many of this season’s slides and mules, too. The T-shaped interwoven design of this Franco Sarto style gives a nod to the nautical silhouette without going full-on granola. And, at a price that’s hard to resist.
Sizes: 5-11
Colors: Black, Acorn Brown, Gold, Silver
Materials: Leather upper, rubber sole
A soft suede finish makes these Everlane fisherman sandals even easier to pair with slouchy socks on colder days. Consider this saddle brown colorway one of this year’s transitional weather essentials.
Sizes: 5-11
Colors: Black Leather, Rum Leather, Saddle Brown Suede, Canvas leather
Materials: Suede
Customer review: “I love that they have a more feminine feel as opposed to the chunkier, heavier versions. The small heel helps to elevate the shoe (literally and figuratively). The suede is icing on the top.”
Tory Burch’s take on the nautical favorite pairs wide velcro straps with a chunky molded leather footbed for an elevated yet sporty end result. A metal logo stamped on the side modestly highlights your exceptional taste in shoes.
Sizes: 5-12
Colors: Black, White
Materials: Leather
Customer review: “Works great with so many different outfits. I can wear them with or without socks.”
Freda Salvador Sera Fisherman Sandal
Lean into the boho aesthetic with these elegant, metal-accented suede fisherman sandals from Freda Salvador. If studs aren’t quite your speed, snag the popular silhouette in one of the numerous other leather, suede, and raffia finishes before they inevitably sell out.
Sizes: 5-11
Colors: 17 options
Materials: Leather
For a fresh take on the silhouette, try a pair of heeled fisherman sandals that you can pair with summer skirts and dresses. This patent-leather style from Sézane has a 2.8-inch heel and sturdy straps that will help you dance the night away.
Sizes: 4-11
Colors: Patent Camel, Patent Navy
Materials: Goatskin leather, cowhide leather, rubber
The straps of these Camper fisherman sandals are so wide that the shoe feels more akin to a cut-out loafer than a true sandal. With some wise styling and a cozy pair of wool socks, the square-toed style can be worn any time of year.
Sizes: EU 35-41
Colors: Black
Materials: Leather
Customer review: “Took no time to break in. I brought them on my 2-week trip to Japan and walked over 15K steps each day. No blister, no pain.”
Mansur Gavriel Fisherman Sandal
Fashioned with a simple (and ultra-comfortable) silhouette that can easily be dressed up or down, these Mansur Gavriel fisherman sandals are practically begging you to take them on vacation.
Sizes: EU 35-41
Colors: Black, Chocolate, Jasmine, Cammello
Materials: Calf leather upper, lambskin leather lining
The Row Fisherman Leather Sandals
It feels like anything and everything the Olsen twins dream up at The Row becomes a trend, and fisherman sandals are the perfect example. Expect chunky, flatform silhouettes like this to be popular with the quiet luxury crowd this summer.
Sizes: EU 35-42
Colors: Black, Off-White
Materials: Leather upper, rubber sole
Revisit a childhood favorite with these transparent fisherman sandals from Vince. The sleek silhouette and sepia-brown colorway give the style a distinctly grown-up feel.
Sizes: 5-11
Colors: Bright Sap Brown, Clear
Materials: Polyurethane upper, leather lining and sole
Customer review: “Great quality and very comfortable. Worth the price.”
Ancient Greek Sandals Cosmia Leather Sandals
These caged Cosmia slides from Ancient Greek Sandals pay homage to old-school fisherman sandals without resembling a dad shoe in the slightest. The adjustable top strap helps create a secure, comfortable fit you can walk (or stroll the beach) in for miles.
Sizes: EU 35-42
Colors: Black, Off-White, Platinum, Natural
Materials: Leather
Loeffler Randall Sawyer Natural Crochet Caged Sandal
Woven from crochet raffia, these Loeffler Randall fisherman sandals fully embrace the style’s beachside origins. With summer right around the corner, why not grab them while they’re more than half off?
Sizes: 5-12
Colors: Natural
Materials: Crocheted raffia upper, leather sole
The cut-out, T-bar silhouette of these Hereu sandals toes the line between a fisherman sandal and a Mary Jane, two of spring’s most popular styles. The brand also offers the buzzy style with a 2-inch block heel.
Sizes: IT 35-42
Colors: Black, Beige
Materials: Calfskin, suede lining, rubber-injected sole
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