Toe rings, anklets and barefoot sandals: what each one is, how to wear them together, and what to wear when your feet are the only thing on show.
Foot jewelry is back in a way it hasn’t been since the late nineties. In August 2026 Bustle counted Jennifer Lawrence, Sasha Obama and Addison Rae among the new generation wearing toe rings. In the US, Google searches for “toe ring” in 2026 have run at around five times their 2025 level (Google Trends, US).
This guide covers the three pieces that make up foot jewelry, and how to put them together without it looking like too much.
The three pieces
- Toe ring. A ring worn on a toe, usually the second one. Most are open bands that you adjust to fit, so there is no size to choose.
- Anklet. A bracelet worn around the ankle, usually a fine chain with a clasp and a short extender.
- Barefoot sandal. Also called a foot chain. An anklet and a toe loop joined by a chain that runs down the top of the foot. It has no sole: it is worn on bare feet, or over flat sandals.
Toe rings
The second toe, next to the big toe, is the classic place for a toe ring. It is straight and long enough to hold a band without it rolling. The third toe reads more quietly; the big toe takes a wider band and makes a louder statement.
An open band fits most toes: ours arrive at about 1.6 cm across the inside and adjust between roughly 1.4 and 1.9 cm. The toe ring guide shows how to set one in a few seconds and how to measure if you want to be sure.
Anklets
An anklet should sit just above the ankle bone with a little movement, not tight against the skin. To find your length, measure around the ankle where it will sit and add 1.5 to 2.5 cm for drape. A chain with an extender covers most ankles.
Either ankle is fine. An anklet works with the same shoes a toe ring does: sandals, slides, mules and bare feet. Over socks or under boots it catches and wears.
Barefoot sandals
A barefoot sandal is the most noticeable piece of foot jewelry, and the one people ask about. The anklet fastens around the ankle, the chain runs down the top of the foot, and the loop at the end slips onto the second toe.
Putting one on: fasten the anklet first, loosely. Slip the loop onto your second toe. Then use the extender to take up the slack until the chain lies flat along the top of the foot without pulling the toe up. If the loop tugs when you point your foot, let the anklet out by one link.
Ours is the Gold Bead Barefoot Sandal: stainless steel with a PVD gold-tone finish, a 21 cm anklet plus a 5 cm extender, and a plain toe loop.
How to wear them together
Foot jewelry is small, so a few rules go a long way.
- One finish per foot. Gold with gold, silver with silver. Mixed metals read as a mistake on something this small.
- One statement per foot. A barefoot sandal already has a toe loop; leave the rest of that foot bare and put a single ring on the other foot.
- Anklet plus rings works. A fine anklet with one or two toe rings on the same foot is the easiest combination. Keep the rings on the second and third toes.
- Stack thin, not thick. Two narrow bands on one toe look deliberate. Two wide ones look like they’re there by accident.
Matching it to your pedicure
A toe ring draws the eye to your nails, so it is worth thinking about them together. Bustle’s summer 2026 pairings are a good starting point: a French pedicure with a thin gold band, soft pink or sheer nude with a delicate ring, lavender and other cool shades with silver, and a chrome polish with silver bands for a jewelry-on-jewelry look. As a rule, warm metals sit well against warm polish and bare nails; silver and steel are the safer choice against cool or dark shades.
For the beach
Salt water, sand and sunscreen are hard on finishes. For days in the sea, choose stainless steel or sterling silver, rinse it afterwards, and leave gold-tone plated pieces in your bag. Are toe rings waterproof? goes through each metal.
For a barefoot or beach wedding
A barefoot sandal is made for a ceremony on sand: it gives bare feet something to look at without a sole to sink in. For the bride, a gold or silver barefoot sandal replaces shoes entirely. For bridesmaids, matching toe rings are a small, inexpensive way to tie the group together.
Order early. Our pieces arrive in 10 to 20 business days, so for a wedding allow at least four weeks, and try everything on before the day.
Looking after foot jewelry
- Wipe it after sand or sunscreen; a soft dry cloth is enough.
- Take it off for sport and don’t wear it under socks.
- Store pieces dry and separately so chains don’t tangle and scratch rings.
- At the end of summer, clean it, dry it and put it away until spring.
Where to start
If you’ve never worn foot jewelry, start with a single toe ring on the second toe. The Everyday Toe Ring Trio and the Two-Piece Adjustable Toe Rings give you more than one to try. If you want one piece that does the whole look, go straight to the barefoot sandal.
Any three rings take 15% off at checkout, and orders over $35 ship free. See the full collection.