9 Flat-Shoe Trends Zara’s Doing Better Than Anywhere Else for Summer

I won't speak for my colleagues, but I've always thought that Zara's shoes are the best on the high street—at least, those that fall under the £100 price bracket. Not only does the brand manage to hone in on the most appealing trends each season, but I've genuinely bought some of my most-worn pairs from the retailer—pairs I still wear to this day. I would always advocate buying quality designs that last, but I have found that, with a discerning eye, you can find pieces that really have value and that are built to last at the brand.

This week, I was in search of a new pair of shoes for an upcoming holiday so, naturally, given my past successes, Zara was on my hit list of brands to browse. I filtered my search to flat shoes, as that's all I'm really interested in 1) right now and 2) for warmer temperatures. After a few seconds of on-site buffering, I was soon presented with some of the best flat shoes I'd seen so far in my search.

Upon further inspection, it became very clear that Zara has invested a lot in its flat-shoe category this season, With over 250 pairs spanning ballet flats and loafers to chic sandals and lightweight mules, the more I scrolled, the more shoes I saw that I wanted. It's times like this that I'm grateful to have willpower because I could have easily added a dozen pairs to my basket.

Although I settled on a pair of very classic black sandals, I was struck by the chicness of many other shoes I saw. So, I thought I'd put this time to good use by selecting the trendiest Zara flat shoes for you to peruse at leisure. (Of course, if you want a more comprehensive look at the design motifs and fabric choices that have bubbled up over the last couple of months, you can also read our guide to the Zara spring shoe trends of 2025, too)

From closed-toe styles to pretty summer fabrications, scroll on to see the 9 flat-shoe trends Zara is doing better than anywhere else this season.

9 Zara Flat Shoe Trends That Are Taking Off for Spring 2025

1. Supple Suede

Style Notes: Mocha! Chocolate! Latte! Suede has quickly usurped leather as the most in-demand fabric for shoes and accessories, decorating everything from loafers to ballet flats with the fabric's signature soft texture. Just don't call it straight out of the 70s—suede shoes are "stayin' alive" for decades to come.

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2. Flip Flops

Style Notes: If you ever considered the humble flip-flop to be passé, it's time to reconsider. For summer 2025, stylish people and brands are turning back to this basic sandal to bring minimalist polish as well as bold accents to looks, depending on the style, and Zara's offerings cover all bases.

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3. Mighty Mesh

Style Notes: In the wake of Alaïa's mesh flats, transparent detailing has arisen as a key style. This season, Zara has utilised the fabric across trainers and flats, mixing lace accents with leather straps and embroidered beading.

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4. Trainer Hybrids

Style Notes: Is it a ballet flat? No. Is it a trainer? Not quite. It's a ballet flat trainer hybrid. Call us out for being semantic, but fashion currently has a fixation with mutant footwear and Zara has picked up on it. Borrowing the sleekness and polish of flats with the technicality and practicalness of trainers, the result is something that's sporty adjacent yet still quite feminine.

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5. Jelly Sandals

Style Notes: Last year, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen brought back jelly sandals in The Row's spring 2024 collection—doing the unthinkable by styling the sickly vintage piece with a lurid orange sweat towel, no less. Now, the plastic fantastic motif is cropping up in so many of Zara's new season styles, from blubbery flip-flops to caged flats.

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6. Luxe Braids

Style Notes: This spring, braiding has emerged as a great alternative to mesh shoes. While most designers will utilise leather to plait into chic footwear, new styles are materialising in softer fabrics. The result is something that's a little more exposed but also quite plush in appearance.

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7. Fisherman Sandals

Style Notes: I know this sentence sounds like a quote from Mean Girls, but it wasn't until I saw Hailey Bieber wear a pair of fisherman sandals that I decided to jump on the trend. I had previously thought the style was decided "dad" coded until luxe iterations like the styles below changed my mind. Because of their association with the coast and living by the water, there's something so inherently breezy and relaxed about them which you can't help but love.

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8. Contrast Trainers

Style Notes: From Loewe's Flow Runner to Dries Van Noten's Low-Top sneaker, contrast trainers are the fashion person-approved way to bring a bit of dimension and variance into your look. Whether this be through offsetting leather with suede or juxtaposing contrast, watch this space as this trainer trend has legs all year.

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9. Peep Toe

Style Notes: There's nothing naughtier than being privy to something private, which is sometimes how I feel when wearing peep-toe shoes. With a fresh pedicure, moisturised legs and a mini dress, this shoe style can feel quite sexy. But Zara is proving exposing the tips of your feet can be quite elegant, too with a whole host of flat styles.

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