9 strappy heels that dare you to test staircases

So far, my footwear game has veered more demure than brat. The slinkiest strap on my feet has probably been my Mary Jane sandals or a slingback if it’s going to be a ‘wild’ night out. But now with weddings and holiday parties stacked, it’s time to step up my shoe game and set aside those fisherman sandals for its older, sleeker iteration—the gladiator heel. Ever since the spring/summer 2025 runway shows, there has been a surge in ultra-strappy footwear, and with labels such as Isabel Marant, Khaite, and Johanna Ortiz joining the fray, the silhouette has evolved.

The lattice design dates back to a 1957 icon: Rene Caovilla’s Cleo sandal that was inspired by a ancient Roman bracelets and has since inspired numerous dupes. The first red-silk Cleo, with its 80 mm heel, pointed toe, and straps covered in crystals, earned a spot at MoMA in 1973. Around the same time in the 1960s, Paco Rabanne made ankle caging cool by showcasing gladiator sandals with skinny straps that went all the way up to the thigh. By the mid-aughts, labels from Dior to Manolo Blahnik were coaxing movie stars into creeper-like knee-highs. Celebrities love it too—we saw Kim Kardashian in a pair of lime-green lace-ups on her All’s Fair press tour. She recently paired a knee-high strap stiletto with a bold Dilara Findikoglu dress for her birthday. Meanwhile, strappy footwear is basically a part of pop singer Tyla’s fashion DNA.

This year, in particular, contemporary versions of Rene Caovilla’s Cleo are having a major moment. The brand’s sparkly, party-ready shoes made an appearance at the Victoria’s Secret runway in October, on Sydney Sweeney for her birthday celebrations in September, and on Taylor Swift in the promotional images for her new album.

The brand is also looking towards India. This August, the 87-year-old designer made custom shoes for Gaurav Gupta’s bridal couture show in Mumbai (Caovilla’s already established himself as the go-to designer for runway shoes, working with brands like Valentino, Chanel, and Dior). It was followed by a spring/summer 2026 campaign that was inspired by India and the reveal of a new shoe, the Jahanara, whose gold tones were a nod to the palaces of the north.

Asked about the inherent appeal of the strappy sandal, Caovilla said, “Women need to feel confident; they want to express their personality, even just by the way they walk. It’s important to me that they feel this way, but also sensual and powerful.”

So, as we move into the season of excess, strap yourself into a pair of slinky, sexy, gladiator-esque party shoes, whether it’s Rene Caovilla’s wrap-around heels that jingle with rhinestones or flowers, Manolo Blahnik’s version that comes with satin rosettes, or Sophia Webster’s whimsical pair decorated with butterfly wings. We’ve made our edit below; all you have to do is find a chair to sit on and maybe a friend to help lace them up.