Shoe-stoppers!

Walk into any shoe store and there’ll not be less than two racks of these sandals,waiting for you to take your pick. The typical Gladiators have straps going up to your ankles or even higher,up to your knees. “But I’m sort of bored of these,” sighs Shalini Keswani,a recruiting consultant. This 26-year-old had bought ankle-length and knee-length ones when the Gladiator rage had struck the city. “That was in early 2009,” she quips,adding,“Now,there are so many Gladiator-inspired styles to choose from. Anything strappy is ‘in’,thanks to these sandals.”

High-end stores like Aldo and Charles & Keith (Jewel Square) have a range of flats and even Gladiator-inspired heels,says Naina Chowksey. This avid shoe shopper has just added a pair of flats to her collection. “It’s not exactly a Gladiator sandal,but it has straps around the toes,and then a firm grip at the ankle. It’s blue and white,and buckled,” she excitedly describes. Isn’t it cumbersome to buckle and unbuckle the supporting straps? “Sometimes yes,but then they look so cute,so I’m not going to complain,” she winks.

The shoemakers though have done their best to eliminate the task of buckling up straps. Rashid Shaikh,manager,Shoe Box,explains,“These sandals are now very easy to wear because they come with zips at the back. So all you have to do is slide your feet in and zip the sandals.” While the typical Gladiators come in black,beige,white and brown,its off-shoots lure you with their sparkling pinks,purples,blues,orange,reds or a combination of these hues. “The Gladiator sandals have started a new trend altogether. Now there are a range of flats with just two or three straps at the ankle,or then even heels with straps covering the entire foot. This style is being experimented with and since the response has been so good,new types are being churned out.” he adds.

We read somewhere that guys don’t fancy Gladiator sandals on their women as they make them look short! Shaikh rubbishes this claim and says,“These sandals look extremely good with shorts and skirts.” Chowksey lends her support,“I teamed these sandals with a casual dress,and my date complimented me! So that nullifies the ‘guys-don’t-like-it’ matter,at least for me!”

Madhumita Roy,a student of fashion designing,hails the Gladiator-inspired trend that is seeping into the shoe scene. “Initially,I found the Gladiator sandals to be quite bulky as the straps are quite thick. But lately,the new varieties in the market have very delicate straps and come in soft colours too. These offshoots of the trend are already being used by designers on the ramp as well,” she says.

Further highlighting its positives,Shaikh adds,“They have PU soles,which can last through the monsoons as well.”

So if you haven’t yet bought one,it’s time you swipe that card and perk up your feet!

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