Comfort Meets Couture: The Rise of Chic Orthopedic Sandals
- Rejoice Nnadiugwu
- Apr 25
- 3 min read
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 an effort 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 its 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 in 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, a consultant principal podiatric surgeon and director of the London Podiatry Centre, who puts all kinds of footwear through their paces at his cutting-edge gait analysis lab. Mother might always be right, but does the professional endorse her love of the wooden shoe?
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