The Tamesis
Just as the eyes are the windows to the soul, shoes give you the clearest glimpse into a decade’s fashion. To me, the 90s will always be synonymous with sandals. From Carrie Bradshaw’s barely-there Manolo Blahniks to Jennifer Aniston’s casual flip-flops, a few sandal silhouettes defined the look of the time; coincidentally, they were the exact same styles we see everywhere now.
90s sandal trends
Gianvito Rossi Gwyneth 85 leather sandals
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Manolo Blahnik Jadarona 70 leather mules
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St. Agni Petit belted slingback sandals
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As a ’90s baby who fell in love with fashion early on, some of the images and iconic moments from that era have stuck in my mind, like Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy wearing Prada sandals outside her Tribeca apartment, or Manolo Blahnik strappy heels backstage at Michael Kors. (Both styles are vintage styles that I sourced.)
For city girls like her who needed shoes for work, the decade marked a marked shift away from the overly conservative constraints of high heels in the ’80s toward something more fashionable and sensible. Designers like Manolo Blahnik and Miuccia Prada mastered this visual language in the ’90s, creating clothes that were as mesmerizing then as they are now.
The simple nature of these sandals gave them lasting power, surpassing nearly every shoe trend since. I find myself returning to these same silhouettes, not just for their cultural cachet, but for the feeling. Dressing in the 1990s was lighter, freer, and more instinctive. Aside from the nostalgia that inspires my vintage purchases today, these shoes still feel modern today. It proves that a great sandal needs only very few changes to stay relevant.
From Prada’s recent runway show to Demna’s ode to Gucci’s Tom Ford era, today’s coveted sandals keep returning to the right ’90s style: sensual without being self-conscious, practical enough for the often-on-the-go woman, yet sophisticated enough to define an entire look. Let’s take a closer look at what they are.
