Summer is here, which means I’ve already purchased my first sandals of 2023, switched from flat whites to iced lattes, stashed my knitwear in the loft, and endlessly searched “best pedicure colours” in preparation for my next salon appointment. I’ll be the first to admit that over the autumn and winter, with my feet tucked away in thick socks and winter boots, I become lax with my pedicure appointments. But come summer—and with the onset of sandal season—I become a regular in my local salon. There really is nothing so satisfying as the feeling of leaving your first pedicure appointment of the year with smooth, soft feet, perfectly shaped nails, tidy cuticles, and a pop of colour on your toes
Naturally, for an indecisive person like me, the hardest part of the experience is settling on a colour. I almost always opt for nail art for my manicures, but when it comes to my toes I find myself torn between choosing for something bright and fun which stands out from my neutral-toned outfits, or something sheer and neutral that fits in with them. What’s more, pedicure colours always last a lot longer than manicure colours, so once I’ve committed to a colour I’m stuck with it for a few weeks…
If, like me, you find yourself struggling for inspiration ahead of your pedicure appointments, you’ve come to the right place. “Manicurists and pedicurists are always the first people to know what colours are set to trend for the year ahead,” says nail technician and trend expert Ashleigh Bamber. “Once we’ve noticed a couple of people asking for a particular shade, we can pretty much guarantee that it’s going to be popular that season,” she adds.
You can always count on an expert to fill you in on not only what colours will suit your skin tone, but what’s trending and in demand in salons right now—and according to Bamber and professional pedicurist Milly Mason, these colours are tipped to be the best pedicure colours for 2023.
“Bright reds are one of the most requested pedicure colours every summer,” says Mason. “Reds have either an orange or a blue undertone so I will always choose a shade that matches my client’s skin tone.” This is an important thing to consider—if you’ve ever worn a red polish and thought that the colour somehow looked jarring on your skin, you probably opted for the wrong hue. Typically, reds with orange hues look good on skin with warm, olive undertones, whereas a blue-toned red will suit fair, cool-toned skin.
According to Mason, OPI Big Apple Red trends every summer—it’s a perfect match for cool-toned skin.
Dior has an extensive range of nail polish colours, with more than one red to choose from… But this orange-toned red will work especially well for warm skin tones.
“Like French tip manicures, French tip pedicures have become increasingly popular over the past few years,” Mason tells me. “In the summer, my clients often like to mix things up with a brightly coloured or pastel tip.” As well as pastel shades like baby pink, sky blue, and mint green, according to Mason, red tips are also popular. “But classic white French tips are a failsafe options because they work for all skin tones,” she adds.
Essie’s Blanc is a true, bright white and a cult classic for those who like to DIY their own French manicures and pedicures.
This sheer, cool-toned pink makes for the ideal French pedicure base colour.
“Sheer nudes are some of my most popular pedicure colours all year round,” says Mason. “Most people opt for a shade a few shades darker or lighter than their natural skin colour so it stands out but doesn’t look super obvious.” It makes sense that this colour type is so popular—nude shades will work for all outfits, don’t make too much of a statement, and don’t look super obvious as they grow out.
For fair skin tones like mine, Sand Tropez by Essie is one of my personal favourite pedicure colours. It’s a pale sandy-nude shade which looks great when I’m tanned.
This milky nude from vegan and cruelty-free nail brand, Nailberry, is a great option for dark skin tones.
“Bubble Bath by OPI is a light candy pink which trends every year,” explains Mason. “My clients will often wear this shade on rotation.” Similarly to more neutral nude shades, pale pink is a wearable colour which doesn’t stand out too much, but still looks clean and polished.
Think of this sheer pale pink as the nail polish equivalent of your favourite ‘my lips but better’ lipstick.
For those confident in using gel nail polish, Mylee has a wide range of pink shades, including this sheer pastel shade.
If you do prefer a pink that’s slightly on the brighter and bolder side, we love this pale bubblegum pink from Jessica.
Clear nails might seem understated and boring, but it does leave toes looking clean and healthy, and who doesn’t want that? “In the winter I tend to do more naked pedicures like this, with a clear clean shine,” says Mason. “At this time of year I keep nails as short as possible, as closed toe footwear can cause trauma to to the nail if the nail is too long,” she adds. If you try this at home, it’s important not to neglect the key elements of a pedicure since your natural nails will be on show. “Start with a warm soapy foot bath, followed by a gentle rasp to safely remove the dead skin,” advises Mason. “Do not over-file the dead skin, if over-filed it can grow back twice as thick.”
Designed to enhance natural nails, this pink-tinted transparent formula makes nails look fresher, brighter, and healthier.
A staple in Mason’s kit, the Footlogix Callus Softener is one of her favourite products for treating any stubborn, hard skin.
Featuring nail clippers, toe separators, glycolic acid foot peel socks, and a softening foot cream, this kit has everything you need to prep and perfect an at-home pedicure.
Browns are another popular colour choice and one I often go for as they work well with my neutral-coloured wardrobe. Again, this is a safe option which works for everyone and any shoe choice—especially if you’re indecisive and don’t want to end up hating a bright, stand-out colour. And equally, if you favour a brightly coloured shoe, a neutral brown pedi lets the shoe do the talking…
Honestly, once you’ve tried out brown polish on your toes, you’ll never go back… This set of four will keep you stocked up and allow you to mix things up.
I’m obsessed with this cool-toned chocolately-brown from Sephora’s own-brand collection of affordable polishes.
To ensure a long-lasting pedicure, Mason advises always using a base and top coat with your colour. “I recommend OPI Nature Strong range, and always tell clients to make sure you are applying to a clean, dry nail,” she adds.
“A fresh, crisp white is always popular for summer and especially with clients who are going away somewhere hot,” says Bamber. “It looks great with a tan, and because white is so clean and neutral, it will go with any shoe colour or outfit choice.”
This glossy white dries in less than a minute—perfect for last minute DIY pedis.
OPI’s cult white shade is a bestseller for good reason—this colour never goes out of style.
Having a classic white gel polish in your at-home kit is always a good idea.
Bamber often recommends baby blue as an alternative to white. “When clients want something bright and fresh but still want to incorporate colour, a pale blue is a popular option,” she says. “It’s not too distracting, but it looks really clean and chic.”
This beachy blue is perfect for summer.
Nails Inc’s Plant Power range is a favourite for those committed to a vegan beauty routine—there are tonnes of colours to choose from, but we love this pale blue on toes.
When we think of the perfect baby blue, this is exactly the kind of shade that springs to mind.
“I’ve noticed that a lot of my clients who favour subtle and neutral nail designs like to express their creativity via their pedicure colour choices instead,” says Bamber. “It’s always the people who stick to the same classic nude manicure who surprise me by asking for a bright neon on their toes.” Again, this is the kind of bright and eye-catching colour choice that’s perfect for summer and sandal season.
This bright sunshine yellow is guaranteed to put a spring in your step.
A punchy, summery take on red, this vibrant neon shade is classic but in a fun, modern way.
Nails Inc’s collection of neons features every shade of the rainbow, but we’re particularly obsessed with this bright green.
Next Up: 83 Nail Art Ideas We’ve Saved for Our Next Trip to the Salon
