Gladiator Sandals

"How to Look Chic and Fabulous in Gladiator Sandals!"

Studded Sandals from Zappos

Gladiator sandals, or strappy sandals, are known to be the most trickiest shoes to wear.

If you're lucky to be tall or have slender legs, gladiator shoes will naturally suit you!

However, if you have thick calves/ankles, short legs or/and are short in figure, the wrong pair can add unflattering pounds to your frame.

Your legs can look amazing in gladiator shoes, but only if you choose the right style. This article will give you 3 vital keypointers on how to choose the perfect pair of gladiator sandals for your legs and feet.

Click here to see shopping recommendations

Plus, if you scroll to the bottom of the page you'll find a couple of ideas on how to wear them. Celebrity pictures included ;-)

Let's begin by looking at tips on how to pick the right pair of gladiator shoes!

Gladiator Sandal Height

Basically, ankle high gladiator shoes in a simple design (solid colors, minimal details) will complement your outfit without drawing too much attention to your legs.

However, if you want to take it up a notch, choose taller ones like mid-calf or knee-high.

3 Gladiator Sandal Heights:

Ankle-high
Cream ankle high gladiator sandals

Mid-calf
Mid calf brown gladiator sandals

Knee-high
Knee high boots gladiator sandals

Ankle-high looks good on pretty much on almost any shape. Because the more leg you show, the more longer they'll appear. Ankle-highs will also complement tiny ankles/legs. However, if you have thick ankles, go for t-straps and/or some heel to create a long and lean vertical line. Your legs will look great!

Trust me, mid-calf only looks good on slender legs. It will only make your legs look stubbier if they're short or thick.

Knee-high can make your legs look longer but make sure you choose straps that suit the proportions of your legs. More on straps further down this article.

Note: For the ultimate leg and foot elongating, choose a gladiator style with a solid strip of leather that bisects the foot in the center. We want a vertical line on your frame to create a long and lean silhouette.

No matter length, heels on gladiator sandals will balance it out. They look sexy too!

Note: Gladiator sandals can be hard to take off your feet, but you can find gladiators with zippers on the back for easy exit. These come in handy when you have to take off your shoes during airport control.

Straps and Details on Gladiator Shoes

Black gladiator sandals flats from Cutesygirl

Black gladiator flats from Cutesygirl

You can never go wrong with a pair of classics: 3-4 straps on each side of your feet with single or double ankle strap without any special details. Simple gladiators make it easier to mix & match with your outfits.

Create a Fashion Statement

You can even go for interesting details like studs, buckles, shiny materials, thicker straps and so on. This will also highlight your awesome legs.

The Right Straps in Proportion with Your Legs

If you have very slim ankles/legs choose thinner straps. Hiding them in wide straps will only make them look smaller in comparison.

The same rule applies if you have thick ankles/legs or large feet. Picking the smaller straps will only make them look more huge.

Now some might disagree with me on the straps-issue. But just think about it. If you have thick calves, the more obvious they'll look when you wear something smaller in comparison. It's like having small breasts and wearing a bra that's one-two cup size bigger. Or stuffing a pair of large breasts in a tiny bra cup. Now wouldn't that make your size too obvious?

Choice of Gladiator Sandal Color

Cream knee high gladiator sandals boots from eBay

Knee-high gladiator "boots" from Urban Original/eBay

You might want to secure a couple of gladiator sandals in neutral colors like black, brown, beige/white because they'll go with just about anything.

If you want more of a statement-thing, choose eyepopping colors like purple, red, gold or silver.

Tip:

However the best sandal color for maximum leg elongating effect is a color that is similar to your skintone :-)

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How to Wear Gladiator Sandals

They go great with absolutely everything -- from mini dresses, long maxi dresses, capri to short shorts, pants to jeans, and even skirts.

Here are a couple of chic ways to wear them:

With a Dress: As you can see, most gladiator sandals are versatile. With either a plain or eyecatching dress, mini or maxi.

Gladiator sandals and dress celeb outfits

If you're wearing a print dress, make sure the color of gladiators sandals is solid-colored and the design simple. They're not supposed to battle with the dress!

If you're wearing a plain colored dress, you can always wear a pair of eyepopping gladiators like mid-calf and knee-highs, gold, silver or anything bold. It looks awesome with a short tunic dress!

Visit the Shopping & Style Guide to Womens Dresses for more fashion advice and inspiration!

With Pants: Gladiator sandals blend in with most pants-outfits. For a sophisticated yet chic office outfit, choose a pair with heels. For a casual look, roll up the pants a little and show off your shoes, just like Kate Moss. Out partying? Go for skyhigh platform gladiators. Gladiator sandals and pants celeb outfits

Gladiator sandals and pants celeb outfits

Visit the Shopping & Style Guide to Womens Pants for more chic ideas!

Tip: If you want to look really, reeaaally slender and tall, team up a pair of black pants or jeans with black gladiator sandals with heels.

With Shorts: Gorgeous chic in the city-look. Gladiator sandals look greta with khaki-colored bermuda shorts, denim shorts and even mini shorts!

Gladiator sandals and shorts celeb outfits

For extra sexiness, try a pair of gladiator shoes with heels.

Tip: Tone down the look with something loose-fitted on top like cute blouse or a cardigan.

With a Skirt: Look casual with flats or trendy with high heeled gladiator sandals.