Wendy Brandes Jewelry Blog

Never Is the Next New Thing

The Gladiator Strikes Back

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I’ve been keeping an eye out for gladiator sandals since last year. I’ve loved this style since 1985, when I had a pair of flat white gladiators. I felt so chic when I wore them with my Guess ankle-zip jeans and oversize blouse! I’ve been searching for a photo that shows me wearing those shoes for a while now, but I’ve been unsuccessful. As a consolation prize I will share this delightful 1983 photo of me and my Capezio jazz shoes.

I’m the one on the left.

I’d like to point out my oh-so-flattering pinstriped and pleated jeans and gray plaid LeSportsac. If I had to sum up this look in one word, that word would not be “elegance.” My normal policy is “never say never” but I truly believe I will never want to wear jazz shoes again. You youngsters go ahead and revive the jazz shoe if you want, but I will sit that one out.

Here are the shoes I like nowadays. I’m really loving these shoes from Acne Jeans because they are giving me a good, non-jazz shoe, ’80s flashback feeling. They are like a combination of my old gladiators and a pair of cut-out Peter Fox booties that I wore around the same time. Very tempting!

Acne Jeans Niara Lace-Up Wedge Sandal
$550 on eLuxury

I do prefer a higher wedge heel than the Acne pair. These would work.

Twelfth St. by Cynthia Vincent Shoes
Harper Wedge Gladiator Sandal
$405 on Shopbop
I’m not sure where to find these beautiful Alaias online, but Bergdorf Goodman always carries his shoes in the store.Via Sleep Deprivation

These Jean Paul Gaultier gladiators are made of denim.

Jean Paul Gaultier $795 on Shopbop

These space-age gladiators are, as the website puts it, “only for the fashion diva.” I must be a fashion diva because I think they’re amazing.

Giuseppe Zanotti
 $750 at Intermix

Angela at Rubble and Rock had some other good finds, as did Planet Fabulon.

I think if I’m going to do it, I should do it right and get a crazy, head-turning, tall pair. I might even wear flats if they were as awesome as these Gaultiers.

Jean Paul Gaultier
$1,425 on eLuxury

They remind me of Talitha Getty.


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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Those are some eye candy shoes! I would also recommend the little cut out booties worn by Rashida Jones on the cover of Feb 08 Domino. They are by Moschino Cheap and Chic, but I’ve yet to find them online… perhaps your NYC resources will do better.

  2. I love the Alaia ones, but I’m with you on the jazz shoes. I don’t get the hype, to be honest.

  3. I’m going to sit out the Roman sandal revival. I’ve never been a fan but I’m sure you can totally rock them.

  6. Let’s try that again.

    See now, I’m of the /less shoe is best in the summer/ school …

  7. Miss J LOVES the Alaias. Alas, she’s fairly sure she’d need attendants to help her walk.

  8. There appear to be substantial pieces of those shoes that are missing. Make sure you don’t pay full price.

  9. Wow, I’d totally forgotten about my roman sandal phase. Unfortunately dovetailed with my hippie phase. I remember arriving at the Smith College campus circa 1990, wearing cut-off jean shorts, a tiedye t-shirt and roman sandals. I wore those sandals til they fell apart.

  10. i reallyyyy like the cynthia vincent pair. a perfect combo of gladiators and wedges

    xoxo

  12. I would like to see Russell Crowe gladiating in those shoes. Is gladiating a verb? I guess it is now.

  13. I saw those Alaia’s online…now, the big question, where? I’ll have to get back to you on that one…momentary memory loss.

  15. Those shoes are magical, but you are the only person who I think could pull them off.

  16. Wow, those Acne Jeans sandals are brilliant. I’ve been yearning for gladiators, too. Thanks for doing all my shopping for me!

    This post took me back. I had versions of all the same clothes you did. Also, I did the giant menswear shirt with leggings and Madonna/Edwardian boots thing forEVER. I was loathe to give it up.

  18. Those JPG sandals are awesome. The Acne ones, Wendy, I just don’t get them (not that you couldn’t pull them off…) I am obviously just not retrofuturistic enough for them 🙂

  19. Love ALL those shoes, even the questionable Acne ones. I wish I had your budget…

  20. In 1983 I wore my Capezios and pin striped jeans in Paris. I felt like such a fashion plate until a French girl said “Why do they do zis to denim? Is a crime.”

    Then I felt like fad obsessed American teenager.

  21. In 1983 I wore my Capezios and pin striped jeans in Paris. I felt like such a fashion plate until a French girl said “Why do they do zis to denim? Is a crime.”

    Then I felt like fad obsessed American teenager.

  22. ENC and Lady, I love hearing from the ladies of my age who can share their own experiences. BTW, I think French snobbery…zis is crime too.
    Stephanie and K.Line..your skeptical attitude towards the Acnes are making them that much more fascinating to me. You know how I get!

  23. My mom use to have such a gorgeous pair back in the 80s, I wish she had kept all her stuff!
    I’m waiting for it to get warm so I can go shopping for a couple of pairs!

  24. Jazz shoes and gladiators, you were so ahead of your time. I quite like the Acnes, maybe it’s because they look like the ones I could most likely walk in…

  25. I’m loving the Gaultiers and the Alaias but find the Acne glads really enticing. I’d wear them with shorts or something that shows a lot of leg!

  26. Miss Cavendish, that’s genius! I was wondering what I would wear them with…shorts is the answer!

  27. talitha getty is so glamorous.
    get the giuseppe zanotti ones, :]
    they’re indubitably beyond expensive, but i think they’d be cool to dream about.
    so actually, buy some others and dream about those.

    x.
    jessica

  28. I agree that if you wear a trend the first time , it’s better to sit it out the second time around.

    Those photos of Talitha Getty are fabulous!

  32. Capezio…HAHAHA! And did those jeans have front pleats and taper at the bottom? Those were the worst style on my frame. Love the old pics!

  34. sigh gladiators. i hope you get yours soon. my only hope is through online shopping and i’m not convinced i can take that step even for these sandals

  35. Talitha Getty is classy…and I’m also on the prowl for some gladiator shoes, although the best I’ve come up with are cheap hipstery ones from Urban Outfitters clearance pile.

  36. I think this look made a brief appearance in the mid 80’s. I had a pair that was made from nagahide (is that word even a part of the fashion lexicon any longer?) If you can live without the label, you can find these shoes being hand crafted by people who follow historical re-enactments. The neo-romans meet yearly in San Pedro CA.