Kate Moss Just Confirmed It—Gladiator Sandals Are Back

Kate Moss’s annual sojourn to Formentera, the quaint and balmy island just south of Ibiza, continues. Each August, she returns to the Balearics to enjoy the tranquil waters and blistering heat before the chaos that is fashion month begins. And given her supermodel status, it should come as no surprise to see that Moss takes her European Summer wardrobe a little more seriously than others.

This year, she’s already delivered quite a few notable looks, from the dual Hermès bags she carried in lieu of luggage when she arrived at the port, to the Jackie Kennedy-inspired silk-scarf-and-oversized-sunglasses combination she styled for a beach day. Indeed, with the 52-year-old synonymous with bohemian dressing with a rock’n’roll sensibility, there was no possibility her vacation attire would be anything but conventional. This was extended to her shoe choices earlier today when the former wellness maven stepped out to run errands in the sandal trend I assumed was relegated to the 2000s.

For the occasion, she paired her black lace-trim tank top with a raw-hem denim mini skirt and lace-up gladiator sandals. Despite a fervour for all things noughtie sweeping the sartorial zeitgeist, it seems that this controversial lace-up style has not yet encountered the same warm reception as other shoe styles dated to the decade have; jelly flip-flops, wedge trainers, metallic ballet flats, you get the gist.

That was until the recent press tour for Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of The Odyssey. Despite her minimal, albeit scene-stealing, on-camera time, Zendaya used the film’s promotional run as an opportunity to prove why she was cast as Athena, the Greek goddess of war and wisdom. Between her Matières Fécales angel wings and fresh-from-the-runway Schiaparelli couture, she also wore a pair of Sophia Webster heeled gladiator sandals that criss-crossed all the way up to her knees.

As many of us who lived through the first reign of gladiator sandals can agree, the thought of encasing our feet in these swathes of bronze cords again should be approached with caution. But with more tastemakers co-signing on this style’s comeback, it appears it will only be a matter of time before these tie-up shoes hit the mainstream again. If you’re rearing to invest in them now and give them one shot before summer takes its final bow, scroll through to shop the best gladiator sandals currently available.