The phrase Gorpcore was first used in 2017, as fashion adopted an unlikely enthusiasm for outdoor, functional clothing. Fast forward to 2025, and windbreaker jackets were hailed as one of the cult buys from the spring/summer 2025 collections thanks to Prada and its yellow waterproof. Along with North Face fleeces and hiking boots, technical, velcro sandals have become a wardrobe staple for the past few years and are no longer an eyebrow-raising choice.
When Vogue declared Tevas the shoe of the summer in 2019, they were a curveball choice for fashion editors. Six years later, they are now established as a summer staple alongside Birkenstock Arizonas and flip-flops. Tevas are principally an outdoors company, founded in 1982 by a river guide who required footwear that would be stable for water-based activities, but still had an open toe. They have now shed their chino-clad tourist rep, and are a summer shoe you can wear round the clock – they are a practical choice for scrambling up rocky beaches, as well as navigating the city on a Lime bike.
With comfort-led, orthopaedic sandals proving popular for another summer, Vogue editors are now as excited about a supportive footbed, as a Manolo mule. “For the last decade, I’ve worn nothing but a chunky, hiking-inspired strap sandal, which I habitually wear until it has fallen apart and then replace,” Laura Hawkins previously wrote, wearing styles by the likes of Christopher Kane and Cecilie Bahnsen.
It’s not just hiking brands using velcro – Hermès and Chanel both had huge commercial success in recent years with their chunky velcro “dad” sandals, which sparked a wave of dupes over the past five years. It showed there was a considerable appetite for a luxury spin on everyday, practical basics, even if the silhouettes have gradually become more streamlined in time.
Miu Miu leaned further into the Gorpcore aesthetic with its fisherman sandals, which are made with twisted, colourful yachting rope, and are fastened at the ankle with a velcro strap. Debuted in the spring/summer 2024 collection, a year on they remain a core sandal alongside this year’s glossy clog sliders.
From hiking sandals to more streamlined, minimalist styles, see our edit of the best velcro sandals below.
