The basic sandal that’s taken Instagram by storm

Penny Goldstone
By Penny Goldstone
published

I know it's probably too early to call it, but there was a shoe of the season, it would have to be the humble flip flop. Not just any flip flop though, the luxe kind. Thing platform thongs, simple black leather, minimal to the max and the perfect throwback to the late 90s/early 00s.

The reason I am making this bold claim is that it's the single most-seen shoe on my Instagram feed. Fellow editors and influencers have fallen hard for the style, which is not only very comfortable (therefore a good footwear compromise if you're sick of slippers) but incredibly versatile too.

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Simply put, thong sandals go with everything, from a throw-it-on floaty dress to suits, jeans and a t-shirt or even the holy grail of WFH attire: sweats.

I myself have fallen for the ARKET platform sandals (sadly sold out, but I'm sure they'll bring it back), and they haven't left my feet for the past two weeks. These are also owned by Hannah Crosskey, and she wears them well with her signature suits.

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Another style that's been popular is the ATP flip flops, as seen on Alexis Foreman above.

Shop now: THE ROW Ginza leather sandals for £725 from MATCHESFASHION

Shop now: MELITTO BLACK PLATFORM SANDALS for £235 from ATP

Shop now: Platform sandals for £125 from ARKET

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But if you're really looking to invest, then the The ROW style is one you'll want to wear season after season, the ultimate investment piece.

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That particular pair has made its way into the wardrobe of super stylish influencers Monikh and Brittany Bathgate, and they look just perfect.

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Sure, it might not have the wow factor, but that is its appeal. You'll be able to wear it all the time, with anything you want, and that is worth the investment.

Penny Goldstone
Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.

Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).

Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.

However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.

Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.

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