Roman March

It’s a trend that’s come and gone and now it’s back once again. Funnily,it’s a style statement that was made centuries ago but the ‘Gladiators’,as they are commonly referred to now,strike a stylish note even today. The first time I spotted someone wearing them,I was a fresher in college. For the record,if you are a Delhi University alumna and were part of the arty (read ethnic) set,you would already have had a pair in your closet! So my first pair came in time too,bought off the flea market on Janpath in Connaught Place. Back then sandal-sporting-Russell Crowe had not yet hit the big screen with his blockbuster ‘Gladiator’ and we called our strappy numbers – Roman sandals. Sexy yet practical,the flats which boasted of a T-strap with multiple straps going across the foot,were a value-for-money pick. As much as everyone made the most of this breezy footwear,Roman sandals or ‘Gladiators’ as they came to be known later soon lost out to patent peep-toes and flat-out flip flops. In fact,each time you flipped through fashion glossies or browsed through Bollywood photo-ops,the style divas were always walking tall in their sky-high stilettos. And then came Sonam Kapoor and Delhi-6.

Though in the film,the camera never really zooms on her feet or presents a full-length,it was on a visit to the sets of NDTV Imagine’s ‘OYE! It’s Friday’ for Delhi-6’s promotion that we first spotted the Gladiators on her feet. Kapoor teamed her all-black pair with a killer dress in blood-red. “Yes,I remember watching the show. She’s quite a fashion diva and I simply loved her black sandals,” admits fashion merchandiser Kirat Randhawa who finally zeroed down on a similar pair she found at Ebony in Sector 9. Taking cue we began to look around some more and there we spotted Gul Panag wearing a golden number at the premiere of her recent film ‘Straight’. What’s more,she completed her Greco-Roman look by slipping into an ethereal white free-flowing gown. And doing a ditto,complete with the white dress and beige Roman sandals was Kangana Ranaut during the launch of her official website over this weekend. Proving it’s a comeback trend,we caught pictures of actress Isha Koppikar wearing black gladiators at a store launch in Mumbai recently.

“Last summer,flip-flops and wedge heels ruled,” fashion design student from NIIFT Pooja Kumar offers a quick update as she goes on to add,“I have spotted Gladiators too recently and feel it’s time I aired my pair as well.” Kumar’s pair is in tan brown and has straps that ride up all the way till her calves. Speaking of trends,while flats and minimal heels rule,there have been high-heeled versions as well. In the city,we spotted an original flat style at Da Milano in Sector 17 that’s currently showcasing its Staccato collection of footwear. If you are looking for more formal options,then browse through Shoe Rack in Sector 8,where a particular golden strappy number caught our attention. Ready for a Roman march then?