What do Hailey Bieber, Taylor Swift and North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un have in common? A taste for this summer’s most fashion forward sandals, the humble fisherman, offered by all from Prada (neatly calling it a “cage shoe”) to Church’s and Marks and Spencer.
While Birkenstock and Croc battle it out for every unimaginative pedestrian’s favourite ugly tread, the elegant fisherman has emerged as an alternate style leader, ideal for anyone with ennui over these prior stalwarts of the summer-shoe scene.
Cassie Smart, head of womenswear at Matches, reports that, “We have a strong business with this silhouette. They are super versatile and really work for summer city dressing. The Row, Marni, Hereu and Emme Parsons have all been highlights with multiple sizes selling out.” Bieber, naturally, favours cult stealth wealth arbiters The Row, which she pairs with a white sock, while Swift’s are American preppy classic GH Bass.
Christina Martini, creative director of Ancient Greek Sandals describes it as the “perfect cute but androgynous sandal” pointing out that crucially (for the more podiatry-challenged among us) “you don’t need a perfect pedicure to wear them.” Its chic Homeria style, available in black, brown, platinum, beige and off-white (£200, ancient-greek-sandals.com) are — until it rains — a winning option to transition into autumn with. See also Grenson’s Quincy (£95, grenson.com) for a late sale bargain.
Jong-Un revealed his footwear of choice — a soft grey leather, with what looked like the slightest hint of a heel (unadvisable) — on a walkabout naval parade with his daughter, Ju-ae, marking the country’s Navy Day. He paired the shoe with a beige single breasted wide legged suit, which had more than a whiff of Tom Wambsgans does Tuscany.
A style note for the diminutive dictator: pair with a sock through winter for full fashion kudos.
