The sandal is in the process of a style evolution. It began with the gladiator sandal -- when we first saw it a season or two (or three?) ago, it really seemed hard to wear. It was clunky and not terribly feminine, but now, of course, we love it. And so it's time to move on to the next stage.

More and more celebrities are sporting sexy sandals with a lot more material across the front than we were previously used to. Case in point: The Christian Dior Extreme Cutout Sandal, which was Carrie Bradshaw's shoe of choice in the SATC movie (and costs, depending on the material, $750 to $1000 or more).
This is why we're really liking these Kenneth Cole Reaction Nite Off sandals -- they're just $89 at Piperlime. Instead of a nearly 5" heel, they sport just under a 3" heel, and while that's not quite as sexy and outrageous, it might be a bit more wearable for some folks. The gray patent ombre is pretty sexy, and we like that it's neutral enough for us to pair with a million different outfits. Although, truth be told, if we had a grand burning a hole in our designer handbag, we'd probably go for the Diors.