I can’t help it, I’m a classicist, and when it comes to shoes, I often like to play it safe to let the rest of my look do the talking. As soon as summer comes around, I immediately reach for one style—a plain black flip-flop, and I will wear them on repeat with just about every outfit until it’s too chilly for bare feet.

Imagine then my surprise when the latest shoe trends to surface in 2026 were not only ones we’d already seen before, but were also ones we had officially written off as ‘dated’. If you needed any further proof that fashion moves in cycles, the return of the ‘dated shoe’ should tell you everything you need to know. But, in the spirit of making the pieces in our wardrobes work harder and for longer, I may have found a reason to hang up my black flip flops (well, at least for this summer) and turn to the throwback shoe trend.

Scrolling through the feeds of some of social media’s best-dressed, I noticed the same summer shoes cropping up time and again, and so put together an edit of the most popular. From practical flats to reinvented classics, none of the shoes on this list are brand new, but the way they have been restyled for 2026 makes them feel entirely original. Curious to see what made the cut? Keep scrolling to see the 6 summer shoe trends making a return in 2026. You might just be as surprised as I was.

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1. Leather Clogs

Style Notes: After seeing Iris Law, Kendall Jenner and Zoe Kravitz wearing glossy, smooth, round-toe leather clogs over the last 8 months, I’m open to giving this clunky trend a second thought. Shoes in this shape always remind me of gardening clogs, but there’s something in their ‘anti-fashion’ approach that ironically makes them very trendy indeed. I’m mostly seeing this polished evolution of the Boston clog being worn with baggy trousers and an equally oversized top, but in summer, they would look incredibly chic styled up with a white linen shirt and ankle-grazing maxi skirt.

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2. Derby Shoes

Style Notes: Have Celine already given us the viral shoe of the year? It’s quite possible, as I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen their ballet lace-up shoe on influencers and editors over the month or so. We’ve always had a popular ‘smart shoe’ in our rotation, whether it be the loafer, the slingback or the court, but this season it’s all about glove-like lace-ups with minimal detail in homage to Celine’s dainty Derby.

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3. White Shoes

Style Notes: As a little bit of an ’80s throwback, white shoes once had a reputation for being the reserve of the ultra-conservative and slightly out-of-date dresser. In 2026, white shoes are all about sharp, clean pops that are often the focal point of the look. And the beauty of such a minimalist shoe? White goes with quite literally everything, from rainbow brights to, well, an all-white outfit. I’m calling it now—fresh white shoes are the perfect colour for your warm weather wardrobe.

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4. Gorpcore Shoes

Style Notes: Easily the most controversial shoe trend on the list, gorpcore shoes are the opposite of the prim and proper ‘ladylike’ shoe that has dominated the runways for the last twelve months. Hiking boots, finger shoes, climbing trainers and utility sandals all fall under this generic term to describe functional outdoor gear (so if it looks like it should be worn with a rugged backpack and hiking pole, you’ve got the gist). Keen to make comfortable shoes feel cool, you’ll find fashion people wearing theirs with pretty dresses and skirts in a deliberately clashing combination that sets them apart from the crowd.