Before writing this, we pulled the July search numbers, because trend lists are easy to invent and easy to get wrong. The data settled it. American shoppers ran about 182,000 searches for kitten heels last month. Platform sandals jumped to 82,000 searches against a twelve month average of 56,000. Ballet flats held near 70,000, and searches for wide width sandals came in 60 percent above their yearly average. Four trends, all live right now. Here is what each one looks like on real feet, and what we carry in sizes that actually fit.
Kitten heels topped every style we track
The low, slim heel has been creeping back for two seasons, and this summer it broke through. No shoe style pulled more searches in July. The appeal is honest: you get the line of a stiletto without the ache, and a heel under two inches survives a full day of standing.
Our pick is the Lisa Slingback ($100), a pointed-toe pump on a 2 inch flared kitten heel with a roomy toe box and a non-slip strap, in sizes 9 to 14. Black is the one pair that goes with everything. The pastel pink version is the sleeper: it reads summer now and carries straight into fall.
Platform sandals are still climbing
Platform sandal searches ran 46 percent above their yearly average in July, and raffia is doing most of the work. The raffia platform we picked first has sold out. If it is the raffia you are after, the Sarah Raffia Sandal ($240) from BOHOBO puts a raffia and leather upper on a low 5 cm block heel, in sizes 10 to 14, and it is cut for average to wide feet. It trades the platform for a heel you can walk in all day, and the texture works as well with denim as it does with a sundress.
Ballet flats, and the mesh version in particular
Ballet flats have held a top spot in shoe searches for two years, but mesh is the version people are actually buying this summer. It breathes in July heat and dresses up more easily than a canvas sneaker. The Linda Flat ($90) is a slip-on in soft nylon mesh with a half inch heel, a cushioned insole and a slip-resistant sole, in black from size 9 to 14.
Slingbacks for work and after
Slingback heels and slingback kitten heels both cracked the July list, which makes sense: the open back keeps a closed-toe shoe wearable in the heat. The Evie Slingback ($110) sits on a 1.75 inch block heel, steady enough for sidewalks and subway grates, with an almond toe, an elastic strap, a memory foam insole and arch support. It comes in black, sizes 9 to 13, and cream, sizes 9 to 14. It works with tailoring on Monday and denim on Saturday.
The quiet one: wide width searches are up 60 percent
Searches for wide width sandals rose more than 60 percent above their yearly average in July. Nobody who wears a 12W will find that surprising. Trend styles rarely come in wide sizes, which is the reason this shop exists. The Nia jeweled slide ($54.99) comes in gold and silver from 12W to 15W, with a padded footbed under a band of crystal. The Gold Diamond Slide ($54.99) runs the same range. Either one makes a plain outfit look decided.
The wide range sells through first around here. If your size is in stock today, that is the moment.
Updated October 23, 2026: the Maru, Pueblo, Match Set and Mayberry styles we first featured have sold out, so we have swapped in pairs you can buy today.