(The Nail File)
Spring’s Hottest Pedicure Trends Include ‘90s French Tips & Dimensional Cat-Eye Polishes
And of course, plenty of pastels.
Whether you’re part of the elite group of beauty lovers who keep up with their toes no matter the season — or tend to let things get a little wild in the winter — we all have one thing in common come spring: An urge to decorate our toes in the trendiest polishes ahead of (and of course during) sandal season. And this year, there are many to choose from, including five particular standouts.
The Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy mania that struck mid-February (spurred by FX/Hulu’s Love Story) is set to carry well into the spring, and it’ll touch everything from head to toe. Quite literally: Not only are CBK-esque shades of blonde trending, but so are “Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy-coded” ‘90s nail trends like French tips, per Sally Beauty nail expert Juli Russell. “The ’90s French pedicure is one of those looks that never really goes out of style,” she says. “It feels really fresh for spring because it’s clean, classic, and goes with every sandal.”
Also on the horizon: Itsy bitsy designs, specifically polka dots and stripes. “I love this trend because it adds a little personality without being too much,” says Russell. “It still feels really simple and wearable, but the small design detail makes the pedicure feel more fun and personalized.”
Keep reading for a full rundown of the hottest pedicure polish colors and designs for spring 2026, straight from the experts: Russell, celebrity manicurist, educator, and Star Touch Agency co-owner Julie Kandalec, and manicurist and Salon Perfect global educator Vicki Ornellas.
Soft & Sweet Pastels
There was one pedi polish trend all three experts agreed on: Pretty pastels. “Candy colors are easier to wear on toes, especially if you want to have a more ‘demure’ look for work or just life,” says Kandalec. She says baby blues are especially on-trend this season, like Gucci’s Lucy Baby Blue and OPI’s Baggy Jean Baby.
Russell recommends baby pink, a shade she says “just makes toes look instantly clean and put together. It’s soft enough to feel neutral, but [still provides] that fresh pop of color, which is why people love it once sandal season starts,” she says; it also works well on a variety of skin tones.
Ornellas likes them all for the season — particularly “light pink, blue, and green” — and suggests topping them with Salon Perfect’s Chrome Powder “for a glazed look.” Whatever shade you choose, Russell suggests starting with a ridge-smoothing base coat, like Nail Essentials by ASP’s Fill 'er up!, since “soft pastels tend to show nail texture.”
‘90s-Inspired French Pedis
This spring, we have a tale of two '90s-inspired French pedis. On the one hand, Kanadelec recommends a “subtle, bare-looking” take on the classic design. “A modern nod to the 1990's French nail, this is a softer look,” she explains. “Using a softer white tip — OPI Funny Bunny, for example — versus a crisp white, over a semi sheer pink,” as opposed to a true or bubblegum shade. “It's fresh, clean, and Calvin Klein-quiet luxury,” she says.
On the other hand, Russell is all about leaning into the more maximalist version of the look, featuring “that classic soft pink base with a bright white tip, but the tip is a little thicker. Paired with a square nail shape, [it] makes the perfect clean-but-trendy pedicure for sandal season,” she says. For this iteration, she likes to start with a sheer or milky pink, like OPI’s Baby Take a Vow, before going in with an opaque white polish on a detail brush to paint a thick tip. Then, “finish with a glossy top coat for extra shine, protection, and glam.”
Hot Pinks & Fuchsias
If you aren’t ready to jump headfirst into light and air tones, Kandalec suggests fuchsias and metallic hot pinks. “I'm personally wearing this right now; I just put it on last week after wearing classic red all winter,” she says. “The metallic flash is pulling me right into spring. It's a really beautiful transition color: A cross between deep yet bright, and perfect for any spring travels — like mine to Bali in two weeks!”
Cat-Eye Polishes
For the nail art aficionados, Ornellas recommends taking the cat-eye mani trend and turning it into the cat-eye pedi trend, with a chic magnetic polish. “The Salon Perfect 1-Step Gel creates a cat eye and chrome design with tons of dimension,” she says. “It comes with a cylinder magnet to give you the magnetic aura look.”
Polka Dots & Stripes
It might be trickier to execute nail art on your toes, but it’s far from impossible — especially if you go with an easy (but still chic!) design. “Minimal nail art is really popular right now for pedicures, especially little details like polka dots or simple stripes,” says Russell. Ornellas concurs: “One of my most requested looks for hands or toes is... micro polka dots in any creme color,” she says.
To get the look at home, “Start with a neutral base like a soft pink or nude, then use a dotting tool or a thin brush to add the dots or stripes,” says Russell, who likes using the Fingerpaints Self-Cleaning Nail Art Brush “to create crisp lines.” Then, lock it in with a glossy top coat to “smooth everything out and keep it looking salon-like quality.”
