Orthopaedic sandals are now sexy (yes, really)

Telegraph

24-04-2025

Arch support and bunion relief aren't exactly synonymous with the terms ' sexy ' and 'stylish'. And yet, in the spirit of the current 1970s boho revival, one of the buzziest trends for spring and summer 2025 is orthopaedic footwear. You read that right: the wooden sandals your mother used to buy at the chemist, the ones the hippies made free love in, are now bang-on trend.
Perhaps the most famous model from this era is the Pescura, designed in 1956 by podiatrist-founded brand Scholl and still available today on the company's website from £117. With its ergonomic beechwood soles and supple leather strap, the toes are forced to grip onto the shoe – which, in a series of vintage advertisements, the company claimed would 'shape, tone and firm your legs with every step you take.'
The likes of Jean Shrimpton and a young Martha Stewart were on board, and more recently, Sarah Jessica Parker in both the original Sex and the City series and its reboot – rare occasions in which Carrie released her feet from their Jimmy Choo and Manolo Blahnik vice grips.
Fast forward, and the now-115-year-old Scholl is dipping its (muscled) toes into the world of high fashion in efforts to continue expanding its reach beyond the podiatrist's office. Last summer, it teamed up with Milanese label Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini on a collection of surprisingly elegant Mary-Jane clogs, and this month, launched a collaboration with Spanish fashion house Balenciaga, a label more known for its controversy-courting campaigns and avant-garde designs than its comfort credentials.
The result is a six-piece collection of so-called 'ugly-chic' shoes, including a glossy leather mule with a comfortably wide footbed and a breathable mesh-and-wood clog – though far and away the standout is their high-heeled take on the famous Pescura, available for a cool £625.
But before planet fashion flew the flag for wood block-based comfort, the Pescura style was deeply unfashionable. 'Growing up, my German mum had a pair of cream-coloured Pescura Scholls,' recalls fashion editor and ceramicist Deborah Brett. 'Even as a child, I understood they were uncool. There's a German word: öko. It translates to 'eco', and basically means that you're a bit crusty.' Fifty years later, however, Brett has changed her tune. She's still wearing that exact same pair of her mum's, and they're so sturdy she's never had to get them resoled.
But how to wear the orthopaedic look in current climes without looking, well, öko?
'I love Scholls with capri pants. You see a little bit of an ankle and they look really cool,' enthuses Brett. 'Same with an A-line skirt – the shoes give you a bit of height, which you need with that silhouette. You can also pair them with a white linen suit in the summer, elevating your look from classically elegant to fashion-forward elegant.'
Whether you're of the bunion, plantar fasciitis or just plain want-to-be-comfy camp, you're spoilt for choice this season: other popular styles in the orthopaedically-chic canon at the moment include FitFlop's Shuv clogs, Crocs' Dylan platform and Miu Miu's studded wooden slides.
To provide the final word on how foot-friendly these trending shoes are, we've called on the expertise of Ron McCulloch, consultant principal podiatric surgeon and director of the London Podiatry Centre, who puts all walks of footwear through its paces at his cutting-edge gait analysis lab. Mother might always be right, but does the professional endorse her love of the wooden shoe?
A podiatrist weighs in on the trending ugly-chic styles
Pescura mules, Scholl
£117
Turns out, the original 'exercise sandal' might not be as good for your toes as originally thought. McCulloch explains: 'Any shoe that has no fastening at the back is always going to have some negative effects. The wearer claws their toes to keep them on, creating a greater risk of developing toe deformities.' According to McCulloch, this 'clawing' can also increase the risk of developing certain conditions like plantar fasciitis, a common cause of heel pain.
Now for the positives. McCulloch notes that because of the rigid sole, the toes won't be able to flex as much as usual: 'if the patient has any arthritis in the toe joints, or any forefoot pain, it might help.' Overall, he's a fan of the style, adding that 'it's certainly not one of the worst I've seen, I quite like it. I think it would be comfortable for most people.'
Scholl x Balenciaga heeled sandal
£625
Balenciaga's former creative director Demna endeavoured to design 'the most comfortable heels ever made,' and thus, the stiletto Pescura was born. In its granola-meets-Jessica-Rabbit form, it's neither fully orthopaedic nor glamorous: 'This is by far the worst of the shoes here. The height and narrowness of the heel are major issues,' McCulloch says, explaining that because of the spindly heel and thin strap, you're more likely to curl your toes to keep them from slipping off. 'The forefoot pressure becomes extremely high, predisposing you to all sorts of potential injury.' That said, he is a fan of the cork footbed: 'This material conforms to your foot over time, like a comfy old armchair.'
The line also features a lower-heeled version of the Pescura, which McCulloch likes for its cork footbed ('this material conforms to your foot over time, like a comfy old armchair') and reasons that it's much better than the heeled version.
Scholl x Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini clogs
£600
An offshoot line of ultra-luxe Italian label Alberta Feretti, Philosophy is celebrated for its romantic designs – and its collaboration with Scholl yielded these charming Mary Jane-clog hybrids, which even McCulloch's wife is a fan of. 'She's also a podiatrist,' he explains. 'I showed her the styles in this article, and she loves this shoe.' He points to the 'rocker' sole as a positive feature, meaning that the front is slightly lifted, preventing the wearer from feeling like they're lugging around two wooden bricks as they walk. 'It should be quite a comfortable clog.'
Crocs Dylan platform clog
£65
Ah yes, the ever-polarising Crocs. Love them or hate them, they are fashion's most notorious ugly-chic shoe. This sleek-ified version of the original perforated design feels elevated, yet it doesn't quite get McCulloch's stamp of approval:
'It does have a rocker effect, which is good, but a shoe like this doesn't allow for normal foot function. The sole is extremely thick, meaning it won't allow for proper bending of the toes, and we'd expect to see some shortening of the stride as a result. They should be worn sparingly because of these limitations.'
FitFlop Shuv leather clogs
£130
Having recently collaborated with contemporary label Roksanda to boost its coolness credentials, FitFlop is firmly back on the fashionista's radar this summer. 'FitFlop was a brand I regarded, somewhat unfairly, as a relic of the Noughties-moms-at-Zumba era,' writes Joy Montgomery, Vogue.co.uk's commerce editor in her recent article singing the praises of the label's new Shuv style. 'As a sneaker-ambivalent individual and long-standing sufferer of uncomfortable-but-pretty shoes, this addition to my collection has made my feet very happy indeed'.
On the podiatry front, McCulloch is a fan of the brand: 'I generally recommend FitFlop's Lulu style, and am less inclined to recommend the Shuv because it has no back strap which will cause toe clawing. However, because it's a clog and the upper is fairly high, it will keep the foot more stable. Generally, this would be a shoe that I'd be happy for my clinic patients to wear in moderation.'