Don't make the rookie mistake of forgetting pool slides on your next vacay. The worst feeling is shimmying into your fashionable swimsuit, grabbing your tote bag filled with beach essentials, and running to the door — only to realize you didn't bring pool shoes. *Groan* No one wants to slide their wet feet into their sneakers — no matter how cute they are — after getting out of the water. Comfy and cushy slides are ideal for waddling between the hotel, beach, or car. They're also bonafide trendy and will pair with your favorite summer shorts and dresses for a verified street fashion moment long after you've left the pool behind.
Pool slides are a simple, comfy, and chic summer option and we've hunted down the best of the best. We've rounded up the best stylish slides, including quilted, color-block, and embroidered options, as well as laid-back strappy shoes with cork soles. Are you interested in a floral print for Hawaii or your next tropical trip? We've got one from Nike. Or maybe you wanted a vibrant pair from your favorite brands like Free People, Anthropologie, and Lululemon? There are tons of styles from the latest trendy brands to peruse ahead. Click through for a selection of our favorite styles worth sliding your feet into.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. All product details reflect the price and availability at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
For more can't-miss shopping stories delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our Most Wanted newsletter.If you're looking for comfort, HOKA is your go-to shoe brand. The label's cushioned slides feature a dual-layer construction for maximum support.
Hoka One One Ora Recovery 3 Slide Sandal, $, available at Urban OutfittersThrow it back to the '90s in these chunky vintage-inspired slides. You'll itch to pair them with a Juicy Couture sweatsuit.
Shop & Other Stories At ASOSStay cool and fresh in a sleek pair of slides that conform to your feet, so you don't have to shuffle in them.
Lululemon Restfeel Women's Slide, $, available at LululemonFP Movement offers a splendid array of rainbow-hued slides from pastel yellow to radiant coral. Take your pick.
SOREL Vibe Twist Slides, $, available at AnthropologieYou can never go wrong with Birkenstock's classic slides. They're waterproof, washable, and effortlessly match any swimsuit or coverup.
Birkenstock Eva Arizona Birkenstock Sandals, $, available at Free PeopleAre you planning an island trip in the near future? Then these floral print Nike slides are a must-have to match the tropical theme.
Tory Burch Bubble Jelly Slides, $, available at Saks Fifth AvenueLavender is one of 2023's buzziest colors, and we'll take any opportunity to style the pastel hue.
Cougar Pool Party Platform Slide Sandal, $, available at NordstromNot a fan of regular slides? Reef's has versatile pool-styled pairs to wear to the beach and brunch.
Coach Sport Slide In Jacquard With Mickey Mouse Embroidery, $, available at CoachAre any rainbow sherbet fans out there? Adidas's platform slides are laced with the ice cream's summer-tastic colors.
Essentials By MUK LUKS Women's Pool Party Slides, $, available at TargetIf you're a preppy dresser like me, these Tommy Hilfiger slides will definitely be calling out to you.
Tommy Hilfiger Logo Stripe Pool Slide, $, available at Tommy HilfigerWhen it comes to slides, logo-embossed ones are given. GANNI elevated the casual style shoe with a platform sole and a sustainable twist. For each purchase you make, you'll receive a Carbon Neutral Certification.
Ganni VEGEA™ Slide Sandals, $, available at FarfetchVan's checkered slip-on is an iconic silhouette. The skateboard brand went ahead and added the print to its slides for another laid-back shoe.
Vans La Costa Slide-On, $, available at ZapposWho knew Crocs would be back? Whether you're on board or not, we all have to admit that the shoe is super comfy.
Crocs Platform Slides, $, available at AmazonSlides don't always have to be the plushy rubber kinds. KAANAS' cork pool slides do the trick and are elevated enough to wear with a coverup dress to dinner.
“I want someone to tell me what to wear in the morning,” confessed Fleabag to the hot priest in the hit BBC comedy series. Since playing out for the first time on the small screen in 2019, this particular scene has stuck in my head for many reasons but mainly because of the embarrassing relatability of this sentence. I, too, hold this desire for anxiety-free predictability and stylistic simplicity in my everyday dressing. This is perhaps why I recently became absorbed by the world of online color analysis, a process whereby professionals analyze your skin, hair, and eyes to determine which clothing colors will be most complementary.
First gaining popularity in the 1980s thanks to bestselling book Color Me Beautiful by Carole Jackson, the practice involves assigning someone a season based on whether a selection of color swatches make them look bright or washed out. By holding up fabric colors in different shades around the face, the draping process aims to show how some hues bounce light off the face and others cast shadows around areas like the eyes and chin.
This relatively simple formula is currently enjoying a renaissance on TikTok, with #coloranalysis garnering 749.9 million views and counting. It has become so popular on social media that a filter designed to help people try out color palettes digitally recently went viral, with users putting different seasons of shades around their faces to determine which looks best (though professionals doubt the reliability of the tech).
The recent online interest is, of course, connected to how personal style has become intertwined with our self-identity but New York City-based psychotherapist Dana Dorfman, PhD, speculates that the resurgence may also be connected to our desire for concrete answers. “Humans, despite their curiosity, also don’t like uncertainty and we like things to be neatly wrapped up in a bow,” she tells Refinery29.
She continues: “Any time that you can put a label on something, it gives us an explanation, and then gives us something to hang our hat on. We are all multi-determined, and we’re so complex that if we can have some kind of simplified explanation for something, that’s comforting.”
As someone who often feels overwhelmed, this desire for structure and easy-to-follow frameworks made total sense (color analysis ASMR has been known to soothe me to sleep). Eager to know more, I reached out to Sian Clarke, a personal stylist, to try out a dedicated color analysis session (note: she charges £195 — roughly $240 — per hour and a half session). This session, Sian explained, aims to be a one-time experience due to the fact that skin undertones never change. In a nutshell: your colors are set for life.
The session began by selecting a chosen color and holding a variety of shade swatches up to my face. This would determine whether the hue harmonized with my skin’s undertone by making me look more awake or created dullness in my complexion. With no makeup on, it was clear to see that my pale skin’s undertones are peachy with some natural redness, which Sian explained meant that warm colors would work best.
From there, it was about refining which warm shades looked best, which meant detaching my brain from colors I simply liked and instead focusing on what suited me most. As the session went on, it became obvious that bright, light, and clear shades like coral pinks and aquamarines give optimal results, which means that I fall into the spring category (which doesn’t exactly match with the all-black winter look I turned up in).
This professional analysis, based on a combination of color theory (the classic color wheel) and color psychology (how color impacts emotion and conveys feeling), laid out a future where I would no longer have to guess if my friend’s top would look good on me; my handy color booklet of spring shades would tell me instantly. While part of me worried that my seasonal palette would be restrictive, the process actually offered an easy-to-follow formula that we can rarely apply to the real world. It didn’t aim to eliminate color from my life but instead arm me with information about what works best for me.
“It’s something people can understand and see instantly,” Sian explains. “It also helps with decision fatigue because it does the deciding for you and you get the reassurance from an expert that it suits you.” Dr. Dorfman agrees, explaining that we often seek out ways to distill information down, particularly when it mitigates choice.
“As much as there is a wonderful expansion and acceptance and an open-mindedness from young people about the many systems that exist, I also think that there is a need for kinds of frameworks, because human beings need framework,” Dr. Dorfman explains. “Given our awareness about the chaos of the world and the confusion of the world and the complexity of the world, a simplification or a boxing in of things can sometimes make life easier.”
In a world where the news cycle can induce very real feelings of daily dread, it’s understandable that we might want to eliminate any extra catastrophizing from our day. Do we all want to know if apple green suits us more than sage? Yes. But we also want to be cocooned in the comfort of knowing a basic set of rules for the everyday routine of getting dressed. When everything feels more uncertain than the day before, knowing what to wear when you get up in the morning is a small but tangible victory, something that Fleabag knew all too well.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
Spring is officially here, and J.Crew is celebrating with a brand-new sale, filled with maxi dresses, floral prints, and vibrant tops. Now through April 6, get 40% off select full-priced styles. An R29 reader favorite, J.Crew's sales are one of the best ways to stock up on its peppy, preppy basics for way, way less.
To see the prices drop on your purchase, use promo code SPRING. We're letting you know about this super sale now, so you can catch the best drops and snatch them up before they're all gone. But because we know how hard weeding through all those sales can be, we've curated our top choices from this layering heaven of a sale – from picnic-ready dresses to brightly-colored tops.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. All product details reflect the price and availability at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
J.Crew V-neck midi dress in soft gauze, $, available at J. Crew
J. Crew Short-sleeve mini shirtdress in Liberty® Meadow Song fabric, $, available at J. Crew
J.Crew Shrunken orange graphic T-shirt, $, available at J. Crew
J.Crew Ruffle-hem shirtdress in cotton poplin, $, available at J. Crew
J.Crew Puff-sleeve textured voile smocked top, $, available at J. Crew
J. Crew Silk-cashmere blend cropped T-shirt, $, available at J. Crew
J. Crew Relaxed-fit short-sleeve Baird McNutt Irish linen shirt, $, available at J. Crew
J. Crew Menorca padded twist-knot sandals in leather, $, available at J. Crew
J. Crew Gwyneth slip dress in blue gingham linen, $, available at J. Crew
J.Crew Perfect lightweight jacket, $, available at J. Crew
J. Crew Short-sleeve cottage top in linen, $, available at J.Crew
J.Crew FormKnit high-neck cutaway tank top, $, available at J.Crew
J.Crew Gwyneth slip skirt in linen, $, available at J.Crew
J. Crew Collection bow-back puff-sleeve dress in Liberty® Meadow Song fabric, $, available at J. Crew
J.Crew Smocked-waist puff-sleeve midi dress in gingham linen, $, available at J. Crew
J.Crew Linen-cotton short-sleeve pajama set, $, available at J. Crew
J.Crew Collection side-cutout midi dress in cotton poplin, $, available at J. Crew
