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The espadrille – A thousand years long design

hero the history behind espadrille2

Blue skies. Azure coloured water. Rocky and sand coloured cliffs. Smell of salt. Warm winds. A linen shirt, wide trousers and espadrilles. A hard-to-beat combo.

the espadrille 1 the espadrille 1

Did you know that the espadrille has been made for almost 700 years? Alterations, developments and improvements have been made, obviously. But the first time the espadrille was introduced as an actual shoe the year was 1322. Before it was called The Espadrille, it had some more primitive designs and the predecessor was first made some 4000 years ago. Yes, that’s 4000.

the espadrille navy suede the espadrille navy suede
the espadrille white canvas2 the espadrille white canvas2

Even though the espadrille has been designed, made and worn for thousands of years it first became fashionable to wear it in the 1940s. The espadrille was spotted in famous movies such as ”Key Largo” from 1948. Rita Hayworth wore a combination of a white shirt and midi skirt together with espadrilles and it quickly became a new modern classic. Fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent did his first espadrille in the early 1970s and ever since, the espadrille has been seen in every Spring/Summer season catwalk they’ve created. It’s also the shoe John F Kennedy chose for his summer holiday. Add Ernest Hemingway and Pablo Picasso as avid fans of espadrilles during their summer vacations and you get the gist.

The most classic espadrille is the canvas model with a low jute sole. It’s a great shoe, but we like to make our own twist on the timeless classic.
We wanted the espadrille to look slightly more elegant so that it could be used not only during the day but also during the evening. Because that was often the problem, the espadrille was seen as a companion at the beach but not for a drink after hours. Hence, we decided to make the sole higher and with the upper in a variety of suede colours. It’s a sharper and more elegant take on what you’d normally see on the Spanish, French and Italian riviera.

We recommend going for a size smaller than you’d normally wear in other shoes. The fit should be quite tight in the beginning as the shoe will stretch a bit after wear.

This is a solid team and customer favourite for the warmer period of the year. Wear them. Love ‘em. Take care of them.

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the espadrille light beige suede the espadrille light beige suede