Summer flats that actually work, according to Alexis Badiyi

The best summer flats are the ones that make a full day look easy, not the ones that just look good in a mirror. Alexis Badiyi comes at them with the right skepticism too: she says flats have “never quite worked” for her, which is exactly why this lineup feels useful instead of precious. The point here is not to worship the flat. It is to find the pairs that can handle pavement, office air-conditioning, vacation packing, and the stubborn fact that one shoe often has to do the work of three.

For commuting and long city days, start with the pair that can carry a look

Gewls’ Chiara Flat is the kind of shoe that understands the assignment without trying to be the main character. Marie Claire describes it as designed in New York and made in Italy, and the brand says it is hand-crafted in Italy from LWG-certified leather with a padded insole and a 5 mm build that softens and molds to the foot over time. That construction matters. A flat only earns its place in a real wardrobe if it can move from coffee run to museum hour without turning your feet into a complaint department.

Badiyi wore the Chiara Flat on a full uptown museum day with a Harris Tapper dress and a Cordera wood-beaded mini bag, and that styling tells you everything: this is not a flat that hides at the bottom of the outfit, it sharpens the whole thing. The shoe has enough refinement for polished separates, but it still feels like a sensible answer to summer heat, especially when you want something lower and cleaner than a sandal. The fact that the brand was also running a Moda Operandi trunk show only underlines where it sits right now, in that sweet spot between insider and accessible luxury.

A.EMERY plays a similar game, but in a more stripped-back register. The Melbourne-designed label leans into elevated essentials and refined minimalism, which makes its mules feel right for the days when you want your shoes to disappear just enough to let the clothes breathe. Third-party retail listings describe the footwear as handcrafted by artisans in India, and that handmade quality shows up in the appeal: these are the kinds of flats that work with tailored trousers, a fluid skirt, or a clean column dress when you need polish without stiffness. They are especially good for office days, when you want a shoe that reads intentional rather than purely practical.

For vacation and heat, the best flat is the one that barely asks anything of you

Havaianas’ Slim line is the obvious answer when the temperature spikes and your outfit needs a shoe with less attitude and more utility. The brand describes the Slim as a refined, thinner-strap version of its iconic flip-flop, built with a cushioned, non-slip rubber sole, which is exactly why it works beyond the beach. The slimmer straps make it feel cleaner than the stocky rubber pairs most people picture, and that little shift changes the whole mood. It goes from poolside afterthought to something you can actually wear with a slip dress, a linen set, or a long skirt that needs a low-key finish.

The scale of Havaianas matters too. The brand says it has sold over 250 million pairs annually in more than 100 countries, and its Top style was introduced in 1994. That kind of staying power is not an accident. It is the result of making a shoe that solves a real problem: how to stay cool without looking like you gave up. On vacation, on a hot sidewalk, or on a weekend when you are bouncing between errands and lunch, the Slim is the pair that asks the least and delivers the most.

Ancient Greek Sandals takes the vacation idea in a more romantic direction. The brand says its wing-shaped buckle references Hermes and the mythology around the ancient Greek sandal maker, but the real appeal is in the material and structure. It uses chemical-free natural tan leather and builds in a small inner wedge for comfort and lift, which is a clever little move when you want a sandal that flatters the foot without turning into a heel. Sources identify the label as founded in 2012 by Christina Martini and Nikolas Minoglou, and that Greek-made, handcrafted identity gives the shoes the right amount of narrative without feeling costume-y.

This is the sandal for people who want their summer wardrobe to look considered, even on the hottest trip. The buckle gives it enough personality to stand next to a printed dress or an easy two-piece set, while the wedge keeps it from disappearing completely. It is polished, but it still has sand-between-your-toes energy.

For evenings, the flat needs attitude, not just comfort

Jamie Haller’s Jazz Slippers are the pair that make the case for flats as going-out shoes. The brand says they are handmade in Italy using old Sacchetto construction, which gives them that soft, glove-like fit people chase in luxury footwear. That technique matters because it turns the flat into something much more wearable for longer stretches, rather than a stiff, decorative object you can only tolerate for dinner and a drink.

The price, around $640, puts them firmly in luxury territory, but the craftsmanship explains why they are there. These are not the flats you grab because you forgot to pack heels. They are the flats you choose because you want a shoe with enough poise to hold its own under satin, sharp tailoring, or a minimal evening dress. The shape has the kind of clean, slightly sly energy that works when the rest of the look is doing all the talking. If Havaianas is the heat answer and Gewls is the city-day answer, Jamie Haller is the one that makes a flat feel deliberate after dark.

What this summer really wants from a flat

Taken together, these shoes map the current mood perfectly: low-profile, comfortable, and still polished enough to keep an outfit from falling apart. Flats, flip-flops, mules, and sandal hybrids are no longer being treated like backups for people who cannot do heels. They are becoming the main event for a summer that demands flexibility, especially when one day can include commuting, a long lunch, an office check-in, and dinner somewhere with bad lighting and good wine.

That is the real appeal of Badiyi’s edit. She is not romanticizing comfort or pretending every flat is equal. She is picking the pairs with actual shape, real construction, and enough visual intelligence to survive more than one outfit. In 2026, that is what counts: a flat that can move through the day without ever looking like the easy choice.