Sandals are the main currency of the summer wardrobe, but Spanish stylists are sending them to the substitutes' bench this season. On the radar for summer 2026 are four flat shoe models that work equally well for work, for dinner and for a stroll down the boulevards when the tarmac refuses to give.

First place - mules. The classic backless slipper design that Tory Burch and similar houses are bringing back with pierced versions and velvet lines. Minimalist and woven models are the headline choice this season - across every price bracket. They are the shoe that does not demand a change from home to the office; they are neither slippers nor salon. It is a borderline object, and that is what makes it powerful.

Second - sandals with a strap between the toes, a reinterpretation of the most basic summer model. Lines are clean, materials varied (leather, woven, suede), the function a little "jewellery for the foot". When the day demands lightness without sacrificing the look, this model takes it all - a city walk, a family lunch, a drink on the terrace. It dominated the summer of 2024 and is not falling out of the arena.

Third - gladiator sandals. Not in the old 2010 version with straps up to the knees; the new one is softer, romantic, with small details that move between boho and feminine. Spanish stylists wear them with Bermudas, short dresses and mini skirts. In other words - anywhere the legs play the lead and the shoes can add a whisper.

Fourth - the riskiest of all - mesh ballerinas or jelly sandals. The Row and Alaïa pushed them onto the pedestal a few seasons back, and they have been on the street in different versions since. The green one with tiny crystals that María G. de Jaime wore recently is the most photographed example of this spring cycle. For readers wanting to test a trend not everyone will embrace: this is the shoe that divides opinion, and that is exactly why only the most self-assured stylists slip it on.

One rule binds all four: they do not look like "yet another ordinary shoe". The era of the functional flat model chosen because "you have to" is over. Today even the flat shoe must say something. And if they are speaking, why not have them say what you want, rather than what was assigned.