Flip-flops, five-toe shoes and flats: three styles once dismissed as too casual or too niche are now striding onto runways, slipping into celebrity wardrobes, and filtering into everyday wear. Together, they form the season’s most surprising power trio. Aimee Yan reports

Fashion thrives on unpredictability. Yet, the footwear landscape of summer 2025 feels particularly counterintuitive. Just as we thought high heels and chunky platforms had secured their reign, a quieter, almost rebellious tide has arrived, defined by minimalism, comfort and understatement.

This is more than a fleeting micro-trend. It is a fashion revolution centred on ease and attitude, challenging rigid definitions of “formal” versus “fashionable”, and resonating equally with celebrities, designers and ordinary wearers. Below, we unpack how each of these silhouettes have travelled from the sidelines into the spotlight, becoming emblems of summer 2025.

Flip-flops: from beach basic to runway statement

The flip-flop’s rise reads like a classic underdog story. Once relegated to poolside practicality or tourist kitsch, the humble sandal has now been reimagined as a symbol of pared-back chic. The Row’s Dune flip-flop even secured a place on Lyst’s Q2 2025 ranking, cementing its position as one of the world’s most sought-after items. The shift lies in context: no longer shorthand for carelessness, flip-flops have become subversive when styled with structured tailoring or high-grade separates. Minimal yet irreverent, they make a statement precisely by rejecting over-statement.

Rosé embodies the trend with her black-and-white Beach Flip Flops from The Row, styled with a headscarf, sunglasses and mini skirt, effortless but elevated. Kylie Jenner, meanwhile, offsets bodycon silhouettes with sleek black flip-flops, grounding glamour with a laid-back sensibility. Hailey Bieber takes it further, pairing them with girlish mini-dresses to inject playful irony into her looks. This summer, the flip-flop is no longer bound to seaside getaways. It is the footwear shorthand for “effortless fashion”.

Toe shoes: the niche revolution

If flip-flops represent nostalgic reinvention, toe shoes embody a more radical insurgency. Originally designed to mimic barefoot movement and enhance athletic performance, these divisive silhouettes are now rewriting the rules of street style.

Jennie was among the first to push them into the fashion spotlight, sporting Vibram FiveFingers V-SOUL, once reserved for yoga studios, on flights and city streets. In her hands, the performance shoe became a fashion accessory, conveying not just comfort but a deliberate nonchalance: I dress for myself, not the gaze.

Actress Shin Min-a offered another take, pairing creamy FiveFingers with a loose black dress, creating a quietly avant-garde balance. The appeal lies in this tension: toe shoes are unconventional to the point of disruption, yet precisely because of that, they confer instant individuality. Their newfound popularity signals a more pluralistic era of fashion, where personal comfort, quirkiness and utility can coexist with style credibility.

Flats: elegance in everyday balance

Long overshadowed by their heeled counterparts, flats are reclaiming centre stage in 2025, not through novelty, but through relevance. This season, the ballet flat has emerged as the most pragmatic yet powerful choice: comfortable, versatile, and ripe with cultural cachet.

Becky opts for Chanel’s classic strapped flats, pairing them with pared-back tank tops for a French minimalist aesthetic. Thai star Freen favours Longchamp’s Le Foulonné ballerinas in warm brown for a youthful finish, while Orm Kornnaphat leans into Dior’s crisp white calfskin for intellectual polish. Lisa, of course, chooses the divisive Maison Margiela Tabi ballet flats, their split-toe design transforming functional footwear into an emblem of avant-garde cool.

What flats illustrate is a simple truth: fashion need not rest on discomfort. They invite us back to the essence of style, living beautifully, but with ease.

Taken together, flip-flops, toe shoes and flats may appear disparate, but they converge on one larger idea: that comfort is no longer compromise. In fact, it is the most progressive statement of all.

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