How Espadrilles Became the Ultimate Mediterranean Summer Shoe
As summer rolls around, there is one style of shoe you’re sure to see everywhere if you’re visiting anywhere in the Mediterranean: espadrilles. But how did this unassuming shoe become a staple for royals, actors and style mavens alike? And why is it synonymous with the sunny beaches of Spain and the French Riviera when its origins also trace back to the Pyrenees mountains? Let’s unpack that.
It doesn’t take much to recognize that espadrilles, also known as alpargatas or esparteñas in Spanish, have humble beginnings. Though they now come in an array of shapes and styles, the one thing that connects all espadrilles is a sole made of jute or esparto rope, and usually a canvas upper. It was already known that espadrilles have been around for centuries, but in 2023, it was discovered that the oldest known pair of shoes in Europe was actually an espadrille. A similar 6,200-plus-year-old jute-soled sandal was found in a cave in southern Spain, less than five miles from the Mediterranean Sea, and was attributed to Neolithic farmers.
“Besides the Jesus sandal, espadrilles are among the oldest forms of footwear around,” Robert Ossant, an author and fashion historian, tells Observer. “The name comes from the Catalan ‘espardenya,’ which derives from espart, a Mediterranean grass traditionally used to make ropes and woven goods. The modern espadrille can be traced to the medieval period and is now widely associated with Catalonia, the Basque Country and southern France.”
Espadrilles have also long been tied to other Spanish regions, such as Aragon, Valencia, the Balearic Islands and even farther north, including Andorra, where there’s evidence of shepherds wearing them in the 1900s as part of their uniforms.
In the 14th century, espadrilles were the go-to shoes for farmers and peasants because they were inexpensive and versatile. Before the 1500s, the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) had already recorded mentions of “alparga” and “alpargates” in public records. In the 1800s, paintings by the likes of Francesc Galofré i Oller and Eduardo Zamacois Zabala depicted a more widespread use of espadrilles, with both children and adults wearing the shoes. By the next century, Spanish soldiers had adopted espadrilles as their shoe du jour during the Civil War.
“Before the swanky millionaires started trotting around on their private yachts wearing them, they were a practical working shoe worn by farmers, fishermen and laborers. Their simple construction, consisting of a braided rope sole and canvas upper, made them inexpensive, light and well-suited to hot weather,” Ossant says.
So, how did such a modest shoe become a fashionable woven summer staple? The answers to that can be found in the late 20th century. Castañer—the shoemaking workshop founded in 1927 by Luis Castañer and his cousin, Tomás Serra, in Bañolas, Girona—is widely credited with putting espadrilles on the high-fashion map. For decades, the brand had been crafting classic espadrilles favored by local figures, and gained some high-profile fans along the way—Grace Kelly, for example, wore a pair in To Catch a Thief. Then, in 1970, they teamed up with Yves Saint Laurent to create the first-ever wedge espadrilles, which are now among the most recognizable styles of this shoe.
“It was a turning point,” Rafael Castañer, head of design at Castañer and grandson of Luís Castañer, one of the brand’s original founders, tells Observer. “Yves Saint Laurent proposed taking the espadrille to the runway, and we created the jute wedge. That truly transformed the espadrille into a fashion icon and became the international push for Castañer.”
That, Ossant says, began “the transition from workwear to a modern fashion staple.” He adds: “The wedge espadrille design was a success and introduced the style to the luxury fashion market. We can thank Yves Saint Laurent for establishing a modern connection between the luxury lifestyle of the Riviera set and the dolce vita with the humble and handmade espadrille. The cultural connection to the Mediterranean was already established, but it took a designer known for dressing the jet-set to elevate it to high fashion.”
With international trade and travel picking up after Franco’s dictatorship ended in 1975, that bohemian lifestyle, connecting wearers to the allure of Spanish intellectuals like Salvador Dalí and seaside vacationers, became more desirable, but the seeds for the espadrilles’ expansion had been planted years earlier. Decades prior, the likes of JFK and Hollywood actresses such as Debbie Reynolds and Grace Kelly wore the shoe to embody that “casual, effortless and organic” spirit, as Ossant puts it, during trips across the pond.
The YSL espadrille expanded the shoe’s appeal in the ’70s, but other brands have since also jumped on the bandwagon. In the 2000s, Anya Hindmarch released its own pair. Chanel’s two-tone espadrilles from 2011 are one of the most notorious high-fashion examples. For Ossant, that shoe “reflected the house’s famous two-tone slingback shoes introduced in 1957. It was a fresh update and elevated the humble shoe to the highest fashion runways.” Since then, we have seen takes on espadrilles from Celine, Valentino, Óscar de la Renta, Altuzarra, Delpozo, Loewe, Loro Piana, Ferragamo, Chloé, Etro, Zimmermann and Ralph Lauren.
Still, to this day, there’s something deeply traditional about espadrilles, and more and more people flock to their point of origin for their pairs. In Spain, local brands aim to keep the tradition of espadrilles alive while reaching a global audience.
“Espadrilles are a reflection of the Mediterranean lifestyle,” Claudia Bermejo, communications officer at Toni Pons, tells Observer. Much like Castañer, Toni Pons has also been making espadrilles in the Girona region since 1946.“They are made with natural materials like jute and cotton, which convey a more relaxed, fresh and timeless approach to fashion. They are comfortable shoes, inspired by our land and our lifestyles.” Castañer agrees that they embody a “light, fresh and natural elegance that’s very native to the Mediterranean.”
“The key to the popularity resides in the fact that the espadrilles are a shoe that combines comfort and style really well,” Bermejo continues. “They are versatile, easy to style and work just as well for everyday use as they do for more special occasions; there are even brides who get married wearing espadrilles. Plus, they have a really authentic and artisanal character that people nowadays are starting to value more and more, both in and outside of Spain.”
In recent history, espadrilles have become a summer staple for royals. Everyone from Princess Diana to Pippa Middleton, Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle has been seen sporting the style. The Spanish royal family, including Queen Letizia and her daughters, Princesses Leonor and Sofia, are avid espadrille wearers, often sporting styles from brands such as Castañer, Toni Pons, Espadrilles Picón and Macarena, among others. Espadrilles have also permeated the global screen, with Margot Robbie wearing a pair in 2023’s Barbie and Lola Tung’s Belly Conklin sporting not one but two pairs of Castañer’s signature wedge sneakers in season three of Prime Video’s hit show The Summer I Turned Pretty. (The actor has also been seen wearing them again while filming for the upcoming The Summer I Turned Pretty movie this summer.)
But with widespread global interest also comes widespread manufacturing. “Today, espadrilles are produced by brands ranging from traditional family-run makers to major fashion houses,” Ossant says. “For canny shoppers, one of the easiest ways to distinguish a quality espadrille from a cheaper alternative is to look at the materials and construction. Traditional styles use natural fibers and stitched construction, while lower-cost versions often rely on synthetic materials and glue.”
If you want the real deal, sticking to Spain-made is usually a safe bet. “The way we make espadrilles is still a very artisanal process,” Bermejo says of Toni Pons. Though some elements, like shoe lasts and certain materials, have evolved, the brand still tries to preserve as much of the traditional process as possible, enlisting master artisans to finish each shoe by hand. The jute braid is hand-molded, and parts of the shoe are cut. Then, the final step requires a person to hand-sew them all together, which Bermejo says “requires experience, precision and a lot of time.”
Castañer also notes that “manufacturing has obviously evolved” for the seminal brand, but fully hand-sewn models are still available to the public using the same techniques the workshop implemented when it was first established. The brand uses the same manufacturing method for its soles as it did in the early 1900s, which was invented by Tomás Serra, cousin of Luis Castañer and co-founder of the brand. “Depending on the model, making a pair of Castañer espadrilles can take several hours,” Castañer adds. “We create the jute sole first, then the cut, which in some models is hand-sewn in the traditional way and in others is more industrial.”
Regardless of process, craftsmanship still permeates all models. The handmade stamp “guarantees authenticity, quality and preserves the profession,” says Castañer. “Each pair has a unique character and keeps the tradition alive.”
Bermejo agrees. “Espadrilles are part of our history and our culture. Keeping their artisanal manufacturing alive is a way of preserving that legacy and of protecting a profession that’s part of our heritage,” she says. “The craftsmanship provides a value that cannot be replaced: behind each espadrille, there’s knowledge, experience and labor from people who have spent decades perfecting this technique. We believe advancing and innovating are important, but always keeping our essence alive.”
It’s precisely because they are rooted in simplicity that espadrilles have stood the test of time—and will likely never go out of style. “The processes involved in leather shoemaking are chemical and labor-intensive,” Ossant says, “but with the espadrille, the wearer can see the hand-braided jute, the blanket stitching and understand the craftsmanship and simple steps taken to make the shoe. It’s more organic, craft-oriented and accessible for people who want to dress down their style. Being able to see and understand the craft is essential for an effortless look.” As shoppers become increasingly conscientious about where their products come from, one simple look at an espadrille perfectly encapsulates its history.
