Chrissy Teigen Just Wore the Elevated Version of the Comfy Sandal Celebrities Wear on Repeat

When it comes to sandals, I often feel like I need to choose between style and practicality. There are a few shoes I’ve found that fit both categories (though often one more than the other), but this week through the help of Chrissy Teigen, I think I might have stumbled across a pair that checks both boxes.

In a recent Instagram photo dump, Teigen not only showed off the now-iconic Barbie Malibu Dreamhouse Airbnb, but also a pair of sandals that made me do a double-take. At first glance it seemed like Teigen was wearing Birkenstock’s famous Arizona sandals — everyone including Katie Holmes, Gigi Hadid, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Meghan Markle owns the style — but upon closer inspection, her pair was slightly different, with small details that took the style from granola-girl in the Pacific Northwest to surprisingly chic. 

I was right on both fronts: Teigen was rocking a pair of Arizonas, but they weren’t the classic style most of us know. Instead, she was wearing the brand’s Big Buckle version, a more elevated take on that best-selling shoe that features oversized buckles and a high-shine finish. Birkenstock’s Arizona Big Buckle Sandals are pretty self explanatory — they have the classic Arizona design, with two adjustable straps and a contoured, cushioned footbed. But while the originals keep the hardware simple, this style blows it up, making the buckle the star detail. 

It’s a small tweak that, when paired with the shiny finish, instantly makes the shoes dressier. Shoppers rave that the sandals “elevate a look without compromising comfort.” One person described the “comfortable” style as “so chic,” writing that the sandals “go with everything,” while another customer said that “comfort [has] never looked so good.” Another wrote that “the high shine black with gold buckles adds such a fun element to every outfit,” making the slides “easy to wear dressed up or down.” Simply put: The Big Buckle Arizonas are just as comfortable as the shoes you know and love, but you can potentially get away with wearing them at a nice dinner or celebratory occasion.

For a sandal that feels just as good as it looks, I’m taking a page out of Teigen’s summer style book and grabbing a pair of Birkenstock’s Arizona Big Buckle Sandals.