These photos were taken a while back (September 15, 2009 to be exact), but how can anyone resist not ogling at the amazing Balmain cage roman sandals that Heidi Klum was wearing that day?

Heidi Klum taking her kids to Karate class

Close up of Balmain studded cage roman sandals

Simply gorgeous.

What makes these sandals fit so perfectly are the elastic straps. Yep, you read that right, the straps that appear to be leather are not made of cowhide but of elasticized rubber bands. The heel, the sole, and the rest of the sandals are made out of leather, but the straps are all stretchy fabric.

These Balmains are also available in a high-heeled version, which makes them look even fiercer:

The real Balmains go for nearly $900. Of course, we went hunting for some similar styles at (much) lower prices. These are arranged according to how similar they look to the Balmains:

GUESS Designa, $109.95

Baby Phat Marianela, now only $86.13

Type Z Hennelly, now only $77.60

Kinda cool how the shoes that look most similar to the Balmains are also the cheapest.

The cage footwear style is one 2009 trend that we wouldn’t mind seeing more of this year in 2010.

Buy these cage roman sandals on Zappos.com.

Early this January, Rihanna was spotted in Mexico with  L.A. Dodger boyfriend, Matt Kemp, both taking a break from the buzz and the cold winter weather. The lovebirds were easily spotted as they drew attention to themselves by wearing large Mexican hats. I guess they were simply enjoying, and couldn’t care less whether they would be seen or not.

Rihanna and Matt (behind in mask) spotted in Mexico

Ri-Ri was looking sexy as usual, cooling herself under the hot sun with some ice-cream cone, wearing only a thin cover-up to mask the red bikini that she paired with some lace-up Roman sandals.

You can tell from the picture that she was simply there to unwind and enjoy because she was even too lazy to lace up those sandals! Well, what’s the use of lacing up if you’re going to dip into the pool every few minutes anyway, right?

It’s a nice pair though, slightly daintier looking because of the lace-up strings, not like the usual Roman sandals with thick multi-straps.

Want the shoes? Here are some suggestions:

Type Z Latika Lace-up Sandal

Type Z Jasmine Lace-up Sandal

Promisuous Zaria Lace-up Sandal

Though not as common as its sister (the ankle-high gladiators), knee-high gladiator sandals can actually do wonders to your style, provided that you wear it in the right manner, of course.

Type Z Noteworthy Knee-high Gladiators

Knee-high gladiators have the ability to hide thick calves, or make your legs look even thicker. That is why it is very important to choose the right sandal design to achieve the positive benefits.

There are a few things you need to know before putting the sandals on. Here’s a how-to guide to help you achieve a winning look with knee-high gladiators:

1. Wear short outfits – mini skirts, mini dresses, and short shorts are the perfect pieces to match with your knee-high gladiators. The shorter you are, the shorter your wardrobe should be (without showing your buns, of course). If you are on the tall side, then you can afford a longer outfit, but still, keep it several inches above the knee.

Model on runway wearing knee-high gladiator sandals with short shorts

2. Avoid too many horizontal straps, and keep the straps thin – instead of choosing a pair that is pre-dominantly horizontal, choose one that has a vertical strap at the center front with fewer horizonal straps across it. The vertical straps will make your calves look slimmer. However, make sure that the T-strap is not too thick; otherwise, it will defeat its own purpose. Keep the horizontal straps thin as well.

Penny Loves Kenny Arius Knee-High Gladiator Sandals

Diagonal straps – if you want to wear diagonally oriented knee-high gladiator sandals, make sure the T-strap is present. Remember to keep the diagonal straps thin and at a minimum.

Alexander McQueen Knee-high Gladiator Sandals

3. Wear the right knee-high gladiators for the right occasion – if you’re wearing a pair of jean shorts, then using rugged looking knee-high gladiators is ok. But if you’re wearing a more formal looking outfit, make sure the knee-high sandals are dressy enough to keep up with the dress!

Fustasma Roman 10 Gold Knee-high Heeled Gladiator Sandals

Leg Avenue Roma Knee-high Heeled Gladiator Sandals

Heeled and dressier knee-high gladiators for dressier ocassions

4. Don’t show too much skin on top – because the length of your dress, shorts, or skirt is already on the short side, it would be best NOT to show too much skin on the top half. Otherwise, you end up looking sl_tty. So try to keep it low key, keep it covered, keep it classy.

Mary Kate in knee-high gladiator sandals and a long sleeved tunic

5. Keep the statement piece at ONE – let’s keep it real ladies, wearing knee-high gladiator sandals is a fashion statement. It’s also a BOLD statement, so keep your outfit and accessories on the low side. Avoid looking like you’re trying too hard. Keep it simple; let your knee-high sandals speak for itself.

So there you have it, 5 simple rules to guide you in looking fashionably stylish in knee-high gladiator sandals.

The roman sandals we see on celebs and in stores are typically very masculine in style with their thick straps, flat soles, metal hardware and all. Being that they ARE inspired by the footwear of land-conquering and civilization-vanquishing Romans, we don’t really expect these sandals to look even the least bit soft and sweet.

But what if someone made roman sandals that did?

There are other roman sandals styles out there and they CAN be feminine. Check out these sandals with the girliest embellishments such as ribbons, bows, ruffles, and (gasp!) hearts:

Naughty Monkey Bandit

A gold suede rope tie adorns the straps and each step you take will leave a heart-shaped mark on the ground. These cute Bandit Sandals from Naughty Monkey are $69.94 at Zappos.com.

Roberto Cavalli T90032

Even the pyramid studs couldn’t detract from femininity of the slim sole and the thin straps. The tiered ruffle effect of the ribbon loops are a nice touch. These Roberto Cavalli T90032 Sandals are on sale, now $400 at Zappos.com.

Chie Mihara Shoes Wonder Suede Flat Sandals

How much more sweet can bows of ribbons get? We know: you make them tiny and call them baby bows. A-bow-able. These Wonder Suede Flat Sandals from Chie Mihara Shoes are $380.00 on Shopbop.com.

Find us a pair of roman sandals with unicorns or rainbows on them and this list would be complete.

Sweet and girly roman sandals: do you like them or do you prefer the more masculine style?

The typical Roman sandals have multiple horizontal straps that cross the feet and ankles. These straps are usually thick, giving a rather masculine appeal to the shoes. These horizontal straps can also reduce the height of a person as it cuts across. This is precisely why a lot of celebrities wear their Roman or Gladiator sandals with short outfits – to compensate for the loss in height caused by the horizontally inclined straps!

Typical design of flat Roman sandals from Diba USA

For the women who are averse to wearing Roman sandals because they find it a little masculine for their taste, or simply because they are scared it will make them look short, a good alternative is to purchase strapped thong sandals.

Yes ladies, strapped thong sandals (I am pertaining to the ones with straps at the back, NOT the slip-on type with open back), also belong to the Roman sandal group.

Strapped thong sandals are more vertically inclined and are relatively less strappy. With only two (2) front straps shaped like a V, or just one front strap shaped like a T,  these sandals actually make you look taller as it shows more of your skin.

The thong straps are generally thinner. Combine this with the V or T shape, the sandals look very feminine. Wearing these shoes will not only help you look taller, but also sexier. If you’re a little short on height, be sure to purchase the ones with back straps that fall just below the ankle or just along the heel.

Here are a couple of style suggestions for you:

Type Z Signal White Thong Sandals

Dolce Vita Able Thong Sandals

Steven Cosma Thong Sandals