Whether you’re staying in the UK for a few days by the coast, city hopping across Europe or heading further afar for your dream music event, summer means travelling and new experiences for many.
But no matter where you’re going or how you’re spending your time over the warmer months, it can be difficult to know which footwear is best for your chosen destination and preferred activities.
To help you get packing and have confidence in your footwear, the team at Dr. Martens share their preferred footwear including sandals, boots and mules, for common travel plans.
Festival trips
When travelling to a festival, either in a city, on a beach or in a field, if you’re without the luxury of a hotel room or somewhere to crash and change, away from the elements, practical footwear is a must.
In those cases, a classic boot is a sensible option as it keeps your toes enclosed and dry. However, if you’re on a beach or in a city, there’s no reason you can’t embrace more open footwear. A great choice for a festival look is a pair of gladiator sandals styled with denim shorts and an oversized t-shirt and bucket hat.
Alternatively, platform sandals are versatile enough to work with any fit.
Image: Dr. Martens
Cultural city breaks
Exploring a new city often means lots of walking to many different cafes, bars, restaurants and local attractions. However, it doesn’t mean you have to wear a walking boot or running trainers to do it all comfortably.
Sandals can definitely still be an option for those not wanting to tarnish their style or fit, and a pair of lightweight sandals in particular could be the ideal choice. Not only do they mean less luggage if you’re travelling abroad, but they’re going to be easier for your feet to carry to all your pit stops.
For extra support you should wear a pair of socks with your sandals as this will help reduce the friction and keep your sandals comfier for longer. You can go bold with contrasting colours and patterned socks if, or for a monochrome, subtle look you can pair white socks with white sandals and black socks with black sandals.
Image: Dr. Martens
Staycations
As the weather in the UK can be temperamental to say the least, make sure you have socks to pair with your sandals should you need to, or take a backup shoe such as a mule just in case.
Luckily, mules look great with lots of fits which also work well with sandals so hopefully there’s no need to double up on outfits if you pack both.
Beach holidays
If you like a beach holiday with the option to explore all the ocean and nature has to offer, you need sandals or footwear which is easy to take on and off, but also provides your feet with more support than a slider.
Again, a pair of lightweight sandals are your best bet if sandals are your preferred choice of footwear, as they will be easier on your feet as the day goes on.
Image: Dr. Martens
For more information on how you can style your sandals this summer, visit: https://www.drmartens.com/uk/en_gb/guides/ways-to-wear/how-to-style-sandals