Well-heeled: The best platform sandals for stepping out in style this season
Stratospheric sandals to put some pep in your step this summer
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Don’t get us wrong, we love a slinky stiletto, and it’s hard to beat a boot (when the occasion calls for it), but there’s only one shoe silhouette we’re lusting over this season: the platform sandal. A hero style of days gone by – they swept through Studio 54 in the Seventies, were a favourite of the Spice Girls in the Nineties and have seen multiple red-carpet and runway resurgences over the last 20 years – platform sandals are back this season with a bang (though they never really went anywhere) and there’s only one rule: bigger is better.
Versace kicked off the trend this time around with its vertiginous double height Medusa platforms, which first stomped their way down the catwalk for Autumn/Winter 2021. And it wasn’t long before we saw the style pop up on the runways of other designers, with Valentino, Miu Miu and Gucci joining the gang. So whatever your plans this summer, you’re sure to find a pair to fit the occasion. Here’s our pick of the best platform sandals.
Christian Louboutin Movida Brio platform sandals
This stand-out Louboutin pair pack a proper punch, thanks to bold lines and sky-high heels. Crafted from calfskin, with an elegant ankle strap for support and accented with the brand’s signature crimson sole, the Movida Brio is sure to make a statement wherever you strut.
Christian Louboutin black Movida Brio platform sandals, £845, christianlouboutin.com
D’Accori Belle platform sandals
D’Accori’s stratospheric Belle sandals have become a true cult item this season, gracing red carpets and galas on the feet of It girls from Cannes to California. Rendered in shimmering apple green leather, with an architectural heel and buckled slingback straps, they embody the outrageous, more-is-more vibes this summer’s social calendar is screaming for.
D’Accori green Belle platform sandals, £795, net-a-porter.com
Dries Van Noten chunky flatform sandals
Belgian brand Dries Van Noten takes a more minimalist approach with its chunky white wedge sandals. Offset with plush velour straps in peach and forest green, these statement flatforms are the ideal pair to take you from brunch to bar. Ours is an Aperol Spritz.
Dries Van Noten green and orange chunky heeled sandals, £605, ssense.com
Maison Margiela Tabi platform mules
Maison Margiela’s iconic Tabi shoes have been a mainstay for the brand and a cult item for fashion fans worldwide since they first hit the runways in 1998. This quirky rendition sees the signature split-toe style reworked as a platform mule-cum-clog in supple tan leather for a stylish Seventies throwback.
Maison Margiela tan Tabi leather platform mules, £290, theoutnet.com
Nodaleto Bulla Joni platform sandals
Since its debut at Paris Fashion Week for Autumn/Winter 2019, Nodaleto’s clean, Modernist lines and painstaking minimalism have become a firm favourite of the fashion set. Inspired by 1970s architecture with a mid-height heel and crossover straps, these iridescent platforms will have us heading straight to the disco. See you on the dancefloor.
Nodaleto Bulla Joni rainbow sparkle crossover-strap platform sandals, £577, farfetch.com
Paris Texas Malena platform sandals
Crafted in Italy from a soft peach leather, Paris Texas’s Malena platforms are a true summertime staple in the making. Pair with light-wash jeans and a simple white tee for an easy daytime look, or with a micro-mini sundress and supersized shades for drinks and dancing at the beach club.
Paris Texas orange Malena leather platform sandals, £420, brownsfashion.com
Saint Laurent Bianca platform sandals
Stepping straight out of the Seventies, Saint Laurent’s floral platforms epitomise the brand’s trademark blend of insouciance and retro glamour. Inspired by the inimitable style of actress Bianca Jagger, we’ll be channelling Studio 54 style whenever we step into these statement-making sandals.
Saint Laurent Bianca floral knotted platform sandals, £755, matchesfashion.com
Versace Medusa Music platform mules
Coming in hot on the heels of this season’s standout shoe, Versace’s psychedelic mules are the high-octane accessory we never knew we needed. Made from supple calfskin leather, with a double-height platform and Medusa head detailing, these ultra-fun platforms are sure to stand out this summer.
Versace Medusa Music printed leather platform mules, £1,040, net-a-porter.com
