Kaia Gerber Wears Fashion's Most Hotly-Debated Shoe Trend, in a Ruffled Tube Top and Flip-Flops

Even before Kaia Gerber signed on as the dewy face of Mango's new campaign, she embodied the Spanish brand's effortlessly chic ethos. The second-gen model has the clean girl aesthetic down to an art and a beachy, bare-faced glow. So when she did sign on with the label, the resulting looks were basically a mood board for elegant summer style.

Gerber dressed in her casual-cool everyday uniform, but elevated. She wore crisp black trousers and a summertime take on the trench coat, as well as a thick brown leather belt (a Hollister-era roll-over that's recently been adapted by Gen Zers like Gerber and Lila Moss).

It's there, however, that Gerber began to deviate from the usual. She traded in her favorite J.Crew cashmere for a beige, ruffled tube top and swapped out her beloved ballet flats for the single most controversial shoe style in fashion history: flip-flops.

Her $150 sandals, specifically, offer a runway take on fashion's most hotly-debated footwear. They have the telltale thong silhouette, with black leather wrap-around ankle straps and a are topped with a trendy golden orb—another major summer 2025 shoe trend.

Flip-Flops were a running theme of the photo shoot, which was captured by photographer Stef Mitchell. Gerber donned them a second time, paired with a ruffled black maxi dress and gold statement earrings for a more boho-chic adaptation.

This shoe trend may be widely contested, but Gerber makes them look so chic—and there's no debating that.