White and/or off-white sandals are an essential part of a summer wardrobe. They pair beautifully with navy, pastels, pink, red, tan, and yellow. For those who don’t wear bright-brights and optic white, this year’s selection of sandals actually includes a ton of off-white sandals — joy! Now, your cream tees and muted garments can have a versatile friend too. For those who don’t understand why this is amazing, have you ever put an optic white sandal on with an off-white t-shirt? It looks, well, off, and makes the muted tee look dirty. Or, have you ever paired off-white sandals with a bright white tee? The whiteness of the tee makes the shoes look dirty in this scenario. I think you get it.
How To Clean White Shoes
I know some of you hesitate to purchase white or off-white sandals because of how quickly they could become stained or ruined. Not to worry, my stylish friend, I got you. First of all, you need to protect your white sandals with a leather protectant spray while they are brand new and unworn. I cannot recommend this enough. This will make your shoe last ten times longer. Not one shoe of mine hits the road without its protective silicone coat. I personally use Kiwi Boot protector.
To apply, I first lay down some plastic or some cardboard on my outdoor balcony and set my white sandals on it. Then, I spray over them quickly at a few different angles, with an emphasis on the toe and heel area since they get most scuffed from wear. Twenty-four hours later, I spray them again. Make sure you read the full directions on the can before applying the spray, and don’t over-spray and soak the shoe. Depending on how much you wear your sandals, you will want to re-spray them a couple of times a year.
Once protected, you rarely have to clean your white shoes. Usually, a moist white cloth will get off superficial dirt and scuffs. If you need something stronger, here are the items I use for cleaning white leather shoes:
Both saddle soap and leather lotion have instructions on their containers. As for Bon Ami, just a dab of Bon Ami on a moist white cloth will do the trick.
Jack Rogers Worth Slingback Sandal
Available at Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, Belk, Dillards, and Jack Rogers.
Heel Height: 0.39″
Sizing: 5.5-10M
Material: leather upper and lining, rubber sole
Dolce Vita Leanna Slide Sandal
Available at Zappos, Amazon, and Dolce Vita.
Heel Height: 0.5″
Sizing: 5-13M
Material: synthetic upper, lining and sole
Jeffrey Campbell Adapt Slingback Sandal
Available at Nordstrom.
Heel Height: 2.5″
Sizing: 5-10M
Material: synthetic upper, lining and sole
Naturalizer Vera Sandal
Available at Zappos, Nordstrom, Macy’s, DSW, Amazon, and Naturalizer.
Heel Height: 2.5″
Sizing: 4-13, available in medium and wide widths
Material: synthetic lining with cushioned footbed, rubber outsole
patricia green Palm Beach Slide Sandal
Available at Nordstrom and Verishop.
Heel Height: 2″
Sizing: 6-11M
Material: leather upper and lining/rubber sole
TKEES Sloane Sandal
Available at TKEES.
Heel Height: 0
Sizing: 5-11M
Material: leather upper, leather insole, rubber outsole
Ron White Callie Slingback Sandal
Available at Nordstrom.
Heel Height: 1.5″
Sizing: 5.5-10.5M
Material: leather upper and lining, rubber sole
Birkenstock Arizona Big Buckle Slide Sandal
Available at Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Revolve, and Anthropologie.
Heel Height: 0
Sizing: 5-11.5M
Material: leather upper and lining, synthetic sole
André Assous Pheonix Featherweights™ Slide Sandal
Available at DSW and André Assous.
Heel Height: 0
Sizing: 5-11M
Material: synthetic upper, leather lining, rubber sole
Chaco Townes Sandal
Available at Zappos, Belk, Amazon, Chaco, and Nordstrom.
Heel Height: 0
Sizing: 5-11M
Material: leather upper, synthetic lining, rubber sole
Bared Footwear Sanderlings
Available at Bared Footwear.
Heel Height: 0.7″
Sizing: 5-12M
Material: latex, natural rubber outsole and natural rubber upper
Clarks Alda Sandal
Available at Clarks and Amazon.
Heel Height: 0
Sizing: 5-11M
Material: leather upper and lining, rubber sole
Marc Fisher LTD Thoral Slide Sandal
Available at Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Zappos, Marc Fisher, and Amazon.
Heel Height: 1.75″
Sizing: 5-11M
Material: synthetic upper, lining and sole
Circus by Sam Edelman Iggy Slide Sandal
This is one of the good versions of the puffy sandal trend. It’s not crazy flattering, but it sure is fun.
Available at Amazon.
Heel Height:
Sizing: 5-11M
Material: 100% Synthetic
Steve Madden Dina White Sandals
This Steve Madden Dina Sandal is notoriously comfortable, and nice and white to match the white-striped garments you have lying around. Plus, the tan color of this sandal is to die for!
Available at Macy’s and Amazon.
Heel Height: 0.5″
Sizing: 5-11M
Material: leather upper; man-made sole
Best White and Off White Sandals From Years Past
I originally wrote this post on the best white sandals years ago and update it regularly due to its popularity. I’ve left these photos below for nostalgic purposes. Whenever I update older posts, I love to hold on to a collection of images as a bit of a time capsule so we can watch how our style evolves.
Elvio Zanon Ruffled Sandals
I love the feminine touch of the ruffle on these Elvio Zanon Ruffled Sandals. They are more of a cream than a bright white.
Vince Camuto Miveeria Flat Sandals
I love the black and white accents and mini espadrille section on these creamy Vince Camuto Miveeria Flat Sandals. They are one of the most interesting sandals I have seen this season. Pair these with a dress and wear them to your next summer backyard party.
Vionic Garnet Brookell Round Heel Mule
Sam Edelman Prague Slide Sandal
This is one of the best off-white sandals of 2021. It’s sophisticated, but can still be casual — you can dress this sandal up or down.
