Footwear: Slides

Let it slide

From a sporty locker room wear to adorning the feet of fashion A- listers, the slides are a trend that just refuse to fade away. Versatile and comfortable for current generation of shoe trend followers, it's a style that is here to stay.

Also known as slide sandal, it is a backless, open-toed shoe that is easy to 'slide' on and off the foot when the wearer wants to. They are either high-heeled or flat and may cover the entire foot from ankle to toe, or may have one or two narrow straps. The strap(s) can be a thick, thin, woven, braided, twisted or knotted. Slides have been in trend because consumers' desire for a more comfortable shoe that allows them to participate in physical activities and sports of their choice.

Usually all slides are classified as sandals, but not all sandals are slides. For example, flip flops might be easy to slip on but they are not classified as slides.

Slides are available in dressy, casual, athletic or mule style and have been around for centuries. Some of the earliest findings have been spotted in archeological digs in the American southwestern that were more than 8,000 years old.

In modern days, the most iconic type of slide is the Adidas Adilette. The Adillete was introduced in the early '70s and was the "go anywhere and do anything" slide. It has been popular among athletes as the perfect post-game shoe for walking around a dirty locker room floor. Since then Adidas has offered various variations of the slide, some featuring Velcro straps among others. Notable icon Mark Zuckerberg, is a well-known wearer of the Adilette and the shoes appear throughout the movie, "The Social Network".

Later, "Atheleisure" became a trend that burgeoned when the slide truly took off after French fashion house "Chloe" featured a pair of high fashion slides in a 2013 resort look book.

Although it might be a trend among sportspeople, slides don't necessarily have to be sporty. Many designers, like Prada, Burberry and Marc Jacobs have incorporated high fashion slides into their collections.

The slides are being treated as any other type of sandal off late. Its conducive to warm weather and looks great with pants, skirts, shorts and dresses.

Find your pair in beverlyheels.com.