I Went for a Walk in NYC and Saw 23 Pairs of Toe Ring Sandals

It's a late spring Saturday in New York City's West Village, and I'm walking with two old friends. They're discussing possible career pivots, complicated relationship matters, and who will make next week's wine bar reservation. I'm not listening; I'm staring at passersby's feet—I promise I'm not a creep—and counting pair after pair of toe ring sandals.

Featuring a titular ring around the big toe, made either of leather or metallic hardware similar to the toe rings you flaunted in the early aughts, the quirky summer shoe trend has become a recent obsession among the fashion set. According to the trend forecasting and market intelligence software, Trendalytics, global searches for “toe ring sandals” are up 149 percent from last year.

The well-dressed women of West Village and I are clearly in the pro-toe cohort; my eyes fixated on street level, I recognized Tory Burch's surrealist pierced slide—a calling card for cool girls—and Hermès's leather toe loop sandals, a trendy alternative to the fashion house’s heritage "H" cutout Oran.

Jennifer Lawrence joins us to advocate for the polarizing, trendy summer shoe: in early May, the Die, My Love actress endorsed the toe ring sandal trend via a velcro-strapped pair from St. Agni that circled her oxblood-painted big toe. Remember, Lawrence is a reliable arbiter for about-to-blow-up shoe trends—she played a crucial role in kicking off last summer’s jelly sandal trend and is one of the ring leaders for the popularity surge of retro sneakers. So, take her toe loop pair as a prescient sign of what summer 2025 has in store.

But before the West Village girls and Lawrence were pounding the pavement in shoes that emphasize their pedicures, the toe-centric sandals walked all over Spring 2025's runways. At Tod's, criss-crossing flats were crafted in tan, emerald, cerulean, and mahogany-colored leather, contrasted against stark sets and warm-weather suiting. At Proenza Schouler, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez paired strappy heeled sandals with black tights—a combination that will make some people's skin crawl, but for others, will inspire ideas on bringing their statement socks into summer.

In 2025, when a singular sense of personal style is the top prize for tastemakers, a toe loop sandal presents a more intriguing design than a standard flip-flop or leather thong. They even feel like the final boss of open-toed sandals—not only must you be okay with having your dogs out, but you also have to want to draw specific attention to them.

Plus, the toe-front sandal is the natural next step from spring's peep-toe shoe trend in a series of controversial shoe trends that draw focus to the oft-ignored body part, like peek-a-pedicure mesh flats and Maison Margiela's cleft-toed Tabis. And there's an obvious plus to having a seat belt around your big toe: there are fewer chances of your shoe flying off during your walk to the corner store or your commute into the office. A shoe that marries quirky fashion with function? In the presence of such a complex statement style, it's no wonder I wasn't paying attention to a word my friends were saying.

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