High-Heeled Thong Sandals Were Huge in 2019 — Just Ask Kim Kardashian and Rihanna

Flip-flops are a staple for the beach or the nail salon — and they never seem to really go out of style.

But in 2019, fashion was reacquainted with a close cousin of the summer staple: the high-heeled thong sandal. The aughts favorite reemerged this summer with a sleeker appearance, featuring skinnier heels and thinner straps. And celebrities were quick to embrace the trend.

Rihanna’s approval of the high-heeled thong sandal extended both to her wardrobe and to her Fenty designs. The singer hit the streets of New York this October clad in T-strap thong heels from her own Fenty label ($610 on the brand’s site) with a strapless white Alex Perry dress.

In addition to the thong, the Fenty heels boast another formerly derided staple that’s back in vogue: the square toe.

Rihanna’s not the only one to combine the square toe and thong sandal trends. Bottega Veneta creative director Daniel Lee — credited by many with bringing the square toe back to the forefront — created a fall ’19 square-toed thong sandal that had the fashion world going gaga. The shoes made many appearances on the feet of spring ’20 fashion week attendees and A-list celebrities alike.

Hailey Baldwin was spotted in Miami this November wearing a bright white pair of the Italian label’s trendy shoes, teamed with an Opening Ceremony cropped top and mom jeans.

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is another “It” girl who’s been spotted in Bottega Veneta’s square-toe thong sandals, and she loves them so much that she owns them in multiple colorways, including chocolate brown and dove white. Though they’re sold out pretty much everywhere, these sandals can be preordered now from Luisaviaroma.com for $797.

Fashion has widely embraced the high-heeled thong sandal, but there’s perhaps no bigger proponent than Kim Kardashian. The “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” star often combines the thong sandal and clear shoe trends, choosing PVC-strapped shoes for leg-lengthening effect. Her go-to brand? None other than husband Kanye West’s Yeezy label.

Click through the gallery to see more celebrity-approved examples of the high-heeled thong sandal trend.

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