Knowing how to style sandals is a genuine skill in a climate like ours, where open footwear is comfortable almost every day but very easy to wear badly. The trick is matching the right type of sandal to the right occasion, getting the fit and material correct, and keeping your feet presentable. This guide walks through all three.
Know your sandal types
Not all open shoes read the same way. A slide is a single band across the top with no back strap, casual and fast to wear. A leather thong sandal (a strap between the toes on a leather footbed) can look surprisingly refined. A sport sandal has adjustable webbing straps and a cushioned sole, built for grip and long walks. A dressier flat sandal, often with thin straps or a small heel, can carry an evening look.
The dressiness ladder runs roughly like this: sport sandals and rubber slides sit at the casual end, leather slides and thong sandals sit in the middle, and slim strappy leather sandals sit at the smart end. Placing a sandal on that ladder tells you where it belongs.
| Sandal type | Dressiness | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rubber slides | Very casual | Home, pool, quick errands | Reading as beachwear everywhere |
| Sport sandals | Casual | Walking, travel, outdoor days | Too rugged for smart venues |
| Leather slides | Casual to smart casual | Cafes, malls, relaxed dinners | Cheap-looking synthetic straps |
| Thong sandals | Smart casual | Weekend outings, brunch | Worn-out footbeds |
| Strappy flats | Smart | Evenings, events with open dress code | Straps that pinch or slip |
How to style sandals for real occasions
For everyday errands, rubber or leather slides with shorts or a relaxed dress are fine, and no one expects more. Keep the colour simple, tan, black, white or a muted tone, so they go with everything.
For smart casual outings, malls, cafes, a casual dinner, upgrade to leather. A clean leather slide or thong sandal with tailored shorts, linen trousers or a midi dress looks intentional rather than like you gave up on shoes. The material does the heavy lifting here; leather simply reads more considered than rubber.
For evenings and events with a relaxed dress code, slim strappy sandals in leather, in a neutral or metallic tone, work with dresses and with wide-leg trousers. If you want the polish of a heel without the pain in our heat, a low block heel is steadier on uneven pavements than a stiletto.
Two rules that keep sandals looking styled rather than thrown on:
- Match the formality of the whole outfit. Sport sandals fight a crisp shirt. Slides fight tailored trousers. Keep everything on the same rung of the ladder.
- Mind proportion. Chunky sandals balance wider or longer hems. Delicate straps suit slimmer, shorter or more fitted shapes.
Colour is the quiet decision that ties everything together. If you own one pair of leather sandals, a neutral tone, tan, black, brown or off-white, will match the widest range of outfits and reads more grown-up than a bright colour. Metallics, gold, bronze or silver, behave as neutrals in the evening and lift a plain dress or dark trousers. Save loud colours and prints for a second pair once your basics are covered, since a bold sandal ties you to a narrow set of outfits.
Men often overthink sandals and end up defaulting to worn rubber slides everywhere. A clean pair of leather sandals in brown or black, worn with tailored shorts or lightweight trousers and a linen shirt or polo, is a perfectly smart casual weekend look here. The rule is the same for everyone: leather over rubber the moment you leave the pool or the void deck, and no visibly beaten-up footbeds.
Choosing well: materials, fit and quality
For anything beyond the pool, choose leather or a good-quality moulded footbed over thin flat rubber. A contoured footbed supports the arch, which matters if you walk a lot, and it ages into your foot shape. Cheap flat soles offer no support and flatten quickly.
Fit for open footwear is specific. Your foot should sit fully on the footbed with no heel or toe hanging off the edge, since overhang looks untidy and catches on kerbs. Straps should hold the foot without digging in; a strap that leaves a deep mark is too tight and will blister in the heat. For thong sandals, the toe post should feel snug but not sharp on the first wear, as leather posts soften with use.
Quality signals to check: strap edges that are stitched or neatly finished rather than raw and glued, a footbed that is firmly bonded to the sole with no gaps, and a sole with some tread so you do not slide on wet tiles, which are everywhere here after rain.
Keeping feet and sandals presentable
Open footwear puts your feet on display, so grooming is part of the look. Keep toenails trimmed and clean, moisturise heels so they do not crack, and deal with any rough skin. It sounds obvious, but tidy feet are what separate a styled sandal from a sloppy one.
Care for the sandals themselves too. Wipe leather footbeds regularly, because sweat and humidity leave dark patches and odour over time. Let sandals dry fully between wears and rotate pairs when you can. Rinse sport sandals after the beach to clear sand and salt from the webbing. A worn, discoloured footbed undoes an otherwise good outfit, so retire pairs once the sole is visibly flattened or the straps have stretched loose.
Wear them with a little intention
Sandals and slides are the most sensible footwear for our climate, and they look good the moment you treat them as a real style choice rather than an afterthought. Pick leather when it counts, match the sandal to the formality of the outfit, keep your feet tidy, and rotate and clean your pairs. Do that and open footwear will carry you comfortably through almost the entire year.
Explore more: The Best Footwear for Singapore Weather · Dressing for Singapore’s Heat and Humidity · Caring for Shoes, Bags and Leather