Summer shoes | Minimalist flats

As soon as summer comes around, shoe-wise I'll be living in my Birkenstocks. I walk to work, and work across several buildings, so I usually walk several miles a day, rain or shine. Living in a city means I also tend to walk everywhere on the weekends. So I need shoes that are going to stand up to the task and, much to my own frustration, I have 0 tolerance for uncomfortable shoes, including heels of all kinds.

Pinch my toes? not wearing them

Rub my heels? not wearing them

Soles thin enough that they may as well not be there? not wearing them.

And the last time I wore boots with a 2 inch heel to work I twisted my ankle as I left the office and had to limp the whole walk home in the rain. So heels are never happening again.

MANGO | NEXT | VIOLETA BY MANGO | H&M

As much as I love my Birkenstocks, aka the comfiest shoes in the world, there's no denying that having your toes out in a meeting doesn't always say 'serious professional'. And try as I might, I can't make trainers and skirts look good so I'm going to have to invest in something else.

So this summer I'm on the hunt for what I've decided to call Minimalist Flats. A 'goes with everything' pair of shoes. One colour, no flourishes, clean lines. Ideally soft leather so I can wear them all day.

MIISTA (SOLD OUT) | ACNE | MANGO

There's going to be a lot of white in everyone's wardrobes this summer so the question is, white shoes or not? I've already been gathering my white clothing together and got a great white midi dress in the January sales so I'm going to have to be careful I don't end up looking like Gareth Gates in his Unchained Melody video.

If money was no object I'd spend a small fortune and get the Acne ones in every colour, especially yellow. If I'm feeling flush this month (unlikely) I'll be giving the Violeta by Mango pair a try - look at that cut-out, it's just beautiful. But the ones that have been stuck in my head for two weeks now are the sling-backs by Next. Wouldn't they look beautiful with some cropped trousers and a white shirt?

I'll be wearing my Minimalist Flats with high waisted jeans and a white tee; midi dresses; and tailored trousers and shirts for 'grown up' days.

What are your summer go-to shoes?