Scientists have unearthed the bones of gladiators that fought in the coliseum. According to religious customs back in the day, gladiators couldn’t be buried within the city limits. Because of extensive research on the bones of these fighters, we now know that gladiators didn’t actually wear shoes at all when they fought in the arena. It makes sense since gripping the earth with bare feet would be a lot more stable than wearing flat-soled shoes. 

In ancient times, Greeks and Romans traveled to Egypt and picked up on their styles, art, and fashion. Actually, the style of wearing strappy sandals that wrapped up the ankle was stolen from Ancient Egyptians. Yes, the people of the classical world were fashion forward….they even used to dye their hair bright red!

The point is that the infamous “gladiator sandals” that we see worn with all of the high fashion looks should really be called something else. Technically, they should be called Egyptian sandals or even Roman sandals. Either way, I love the style and think they are perfect for this upcoming season.