Every season there’s a shoe. Sometimes two. Maybe more. They’re known as the shoe(s) of the season. For the last couple of years, I haven’t gotten all that excited about the latest and greatest. Everything felt same ol’ same o’l to me. Nothing really turned me on. Until I stumbled upon these beauties…

Valentino’s

Poppy Embroidery Platform Sandal

(be still my beating heart)

Instantly I fell in love with the red poppies on black velvet. But what really excited me was that I had nothing like them in my closet. I haven’t worn a solid platform in years. Yet here’s the thing – platforms have been making a resurgence. For a while now.

And the best part? Not only are they easier to walk in than regular heels, they provide the vertically challenged a bit more height. (I’ll take every inch I can get.) And they’re super easy to wear. You can pretty much pair them with anything.

They also come in a variety of price points and heel heights. So if you’re not into sky highs, there are lower heels available. And if you’d prefer no heel at all, you could always stick with the tried and true flatforms. There’s a ton available in the shops.

But if you, like me, are totally enamoured with the must-have shoe of the summer, here are a few of the options…

Don’t see anything you like? Keep looking. These platform sandals aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.