It all started, as most trends do these days, with The Row. The label, founded by sisters Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, first launched fisherman sandals in 2019, and like with many other of their styles, they became an overnight cult item. It's still one of their best-selling styles to this day.
Far from being a fad, the classic sandals have become a summer wardrobe staple, treading the balance between formal and casual footwear perfectly.
But first, a history lesson. As their name suggests, they were used by fishermen and laborers, typically of the Mediterranean regions, centuries ago. Their cage-like design, made of sturdy materials like leather, not only protected their toes from the elements, but were breathable in the hot climate and dried quickly when soaked.
Over the last few years, they've seen many iterations (jelly flats for kids, woven dad sandals), but they only really became cool in 2019.
Of course, The Row weren't the only ones to create lust-worthy styles: Prada, Celine, Max Mara and JW Anderson have all doubled down on the trend, as well as countless high-street labels.
They are the perfect in-between choice of footwear, more breathable than ballet pumps, and dressier than flip flops. Incredibly versatile too.
I've seen chunky caged sandals styled with sheer skirts and tank tops, or men's shirts and shorts. More minimal fisherman sandals lend themselves to slip dresses and linen suits, or simply jeans and a white t-shirt.
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