Sport sandals for summer 2026: five style rules so you do not look lost
Sport sandals are back as a major summer 2026 trend, but they do not go with everything. Five concrete tips on wearing them without a fashion misfire.
Are sport sandals with velcro straps actually a fashion statement, or just a camping trip dressed up as a trend? Short answer, they are a trend. But only if you know five rules for pairing them.
Otherwise it looks like you got the season wrong.
Sport sandals from brands like Teva, Birkenstock, Salomon and Keen are this summer’s best-selling casual sandal category in Europe. Fashion magazines feature them across street-style photography, and Serbian shoppers increasingly want a pair under 8,000 dinars, around €70.
Why they are back right now
The ugly shoes trend that began five years ago with chunky Birkenstock platforms has arrived in 2026 in its sport version. The logic is the same, comfort first, looks second.
The difference is that the fashion world now accepts combinations that ten years ago looked purely touristic.
Vogue and Elle both ran sport sandals as a centrepiece in their May 2026 issues. Five years ago it would have been unthinkable to pair them with a dress, today it is standard street style.
Five rules to keep it from looking off
- With a dress, keep it short or midi with volume. A floaty floral or linen dress above the knee, or just below, works beautifully. A maxi dress with sport sandals is risky, it reads as if you forgot to finish the outfit. A proper sandal with a heel is safer for a maxi.
- With shorts, longer cut or bermudas. Mini shorts plus a sport sandal is too much bare leg with too much technical fabric. Knee-length bermudas or linen trousers cropped at the calf balance the look.
- With trousers, go wide and loose. Linen trousers, balloon cuts, wide-leg jeans. Skinny ankle-cropped trousers with a sport sandal expose the foot too much and look awkward.
- Colour matching matters. A black sandal against black or dark clothing visually disappears. Beige and grey are the safest picks, they pair with almost anything. A bright Teva with a logo strap is a bolder move, and demands a minimalist outfit around it.
- Socks, if you dare, keep them neutral. White ankle socks with sport sandals is a fashion risk that only works alongside a perfect rest-of-outfit. If you are new to the trend, skip the socks. Magazines push the sandals-plus-socks combo as a trend, but on most people it does not land.
Prices in Serbia for 2026
- Teva Original Universal, 8,500 to 11,000 dinars, roughly €72 to €94
- Birkenstock Arizona EVA, 5,500 to 7,000 dinars, roughly €47 to €60
- Salomon Reelax Slide, 7,500 to 9,500 dinars, roughly €64 to €81
- Keen Newport H2, 14,000 to 17,500 dinars, roughly €119 to €149
- Local alternatives from Serbian shoe shops, 2,500 to 5,000 dinars, roughly €21 to €43
A sport sandal is only an investment if you wear it often. If you only plan two beach trips and nothing else, a 3,000-dinar version will do the job.
When to absolutely avoid them
The office, formal dinners, a courthouse wedding, client meetings, anything with a dress code. Sport sandals are street style, not an office compromise.
They also clash with a silk skirt, a printed chiffon dress or a classic blazer. The rule is simple, the rest of the outfit has to lean casual for the sandal to fit. Mixing formal with sport is a risk fashion editors can pull off, the rest of us often cannot.
A practical tip for your first pair
If this is your first sport sandal, buy in person, not online. The reason is simple, models vary in width and footbed, and feet differ.
Spend 20 minutes walking around the shop before you pay.
A second tip, choose a neutral colour. Black, beige, khaki or dark brown. The runway colours look tempting on Instagram, but your real wardrobe needs six different outfits to make them work.
Do you like the sport sandals trend for summer 2026, or do you think it will pass? Let us know in the comments.
