Get The Look... Gladiator Sandals
The Age
Saturday July 26, 2008
Brace for possibly the ugliest footwear fad since Camper Mary-Janes. "Gladiator" sandals are meant to be worn with spring's skimpiest and yet they grip the foot, from ankle to sole, either by cross-braced straps - a la Russell Crowe - or with enough designer sculpted upper to be more accurately described as a bootlet. With high heels. In all the hysterical commentaria (The gladiator commeth! All hail the gladiator! The gladiator is IT on a stick!) that has accompanied the first wave of gladiators, Frocklanders have neglected to mention that this particular style of shoe suits precisely 0.05% of the female population. On the giraffe-legged, they are superb: funky little hoof-ettes to counter the thinness of thoroughbred ankles and an endless, upward expanse of tan limbs. On the 99.95% rest of us, however, they optically truncate what leg we've got. Virtually, visually, chop us off at the ankles and set up an unpleasant illusion of shortness, fatness, and hobnail-bootness. Far better, for those of the 99.95% who fancy a chunky mode of shoe, to choose one that has little or no structure across the top of the foot and all the weight, chunkiness and height below the sole-line. An "iceberg" shoe. Leave as much of the foot visible as possible, and you can wear the equivalent weight and chunkiness of a brick, if you like, without the truncation effect of the Gladiator. -- JANICE BREEN BURNS
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