Review: Shoemint Meredith Sandal

Gladiator sandals are huge this season! Whether paired with a summer dress or denim cut-offs, they add the perfect amount of edge to any outfit. Although I love the idea of the gladiator sandal, finding the perfect pair can be difficult, especially for us petites with short legs. A piece of advice for all petites/ folks with short legs: steer clear from chunky, busy, lots of straps, cut-off-the-ankle types of shoes… unless the color is nude (and still, be cautious). These types of shoes cut off your legs and make them look even shorter and chunkier than ever (at least for me). So, how does one find the perfect gladiator sandal when this particular style is pretty much all strap? Either find ones with fewer and thinner straps, try them in nude, or choose the pair that buckles just before the ankle, leaving more leg.

I thought I was going to have to pass on the gladiator sandal trend because of the reasons above, until I found these Shoemint Meredith sandals. Yes, they’re super busy, but I love they leave the ankle bare (no high ankle straps). It really helps with the stubby leg problem. I was going to get them in tan, again, to help elongate my legs, but to me the gladiator trend is all about black. If I’m going for edgy, I’m going with black!

Review- The fit is true to size. They have good support on the bottom, so I could definitely wear them for a long time, but it does take some time to break them in. I got blisters on my toes the first time I wore them… and the second time. I still think they need a couple more wears until they’re super comfortable. Watch out for the spikes on the outside. I accidentally took these off with my feet and fell on the floor in pain because of them. Caution: Use both hands instead of feet! Initially, I was going to return them because who wants to spend almost $90 on sandals that give you blisters? But, after seeing Laura wear them perfectly (here and here) and talk about how comfortable they are (here), I decided to keep them. I’ll toughen it out until they’re completely broken in… and I mean, they might just be the perfect gladiator sandal for the petite girl.

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