Maybe you watched a few of your friends bravely lace up their knee-high gladiator sandals at Coachella [1] and thought, "Ugh, I could never pull those off," or "Would I ever really wear those beyond festival season?" Well, for starters — yes, you can pull them off. Anybody can [2]. And yes, you definitely will be wearing them post-Coachella, through the whole Summer, in fact. This trend isn't just for music festival fans; dramatic knee-high gladiators are already shaping up to be one of Spring's biggest shoe trends [3].
Still lukewarm? Just imagine how they'll transform your basics — a black maxi dress goes from boring to statement-making magic. And how else would you finish off that lacy boho dress waiting to be worn in the back of your closet? Plus, with a flat, walkable sole, these sandals are as practical as they are head-turning. Scroll to shop our favorites, and get ahead of the trend now.
Zara Leather Roman Sandals
Zara Leather Roman Sandals [4] ($159)
Jeffrey Campbell Suede Fringe Gladiator Heels
Nasty Gal Jeffrey Campbell Enyo Suede Fringe Gladiator Heels [5] ($100)
Stuart Weitzman Gladiator
Stuart Weitzman Gladiator [6] ($498)
Tibi Sandal
Tibi Beacher Sandal [7] ($525)
Schutz Flat Gladiator Sandal
Schutz Bilquis Flat Gladiator Sandal [8] ($240)
Jeffrey Campbell Tall Gladiator Sandal
Jeffrey Campbell Logaras Tall Gladiator Sandal [9] ($180)
Ancient Greek Knee-High Gladiator Sandal
Ancient Greek Sandals Knee-High Gladiator Flat Sandal [10] ($410)
Free People Tall Sandals
Free People faryl robin + Vegan Shell Game Tall Heels [11] ($168)
Rebecca Minkoff Flat Gladiator Sandal
Rebecca Minkoff Flat Gladiator Sandal [12] ($450)
Chloé Suede Wedge Gladiator Sandal
Chloé Foster Suede Wedge Gladiator Sandal [13] ($1,450)
Band Of Outsiders Strappy Sandals
Band Of Outsiders Strappy Sandals [14] ($495)
Zara Knee-High Gladiator Sandals
Zara Leather Gladiator Sandals [15] ($159)
Carvela Kiki Knee-High Sandals
Carvela Kiki Knee-High Sandals [16] ($182)
Cynthia Vincent Franky Tall Gladiator Sandals
Cynthia Vincent Franky Tall Gladiator Sandals [17] ($245)
MSGM Knee-High Sandals
MSGM Gore Knee Sandals [18] ($705)