Still Hot: Gladiator Sandals That Won’t Quit

If there’s a shoe trend that’s outlived its expected longevity both on the runway and on the street, it’s gladiator sandals. Fashionistas can’t get enough of this chic style and designers can’t get enough of playing with its possibilities to take a new spin on a very old standby. How old? Thousands of years. Ancient Greece and Rome gave us this footwear whose straps and ties no doubt were created in the spirit of function as well as form. Without zippers and the small buckles we take for granted today, keeping the shoe on the foot meant manipulating leather to encase it. Today, it holds timeless appeal and continues to give edgy peek-a-boo sex appeal that creates an instant look paired with any of our basics. This spring, extreme heeled versions were aplenty on catwalks and stores are still serving up flat and wedge versions to sate our never-ending desire for ancient style.


X