Originally worn by the peasants of the Basque country, espadrilles are today a staple of the French Riviera summers. Slotting in between casuals like loafers or canvas shoes and slippers, it has a simple two-part construction. A one-piece canvas forms the upper part that is stitched to a sole made from Jute coiled rope; hence the name derived from ‘esparto’ or grass. The sole may be fortified by some brands rubber or other synthetic materials.
Most often espadrilles are slip-ons, but lace-up are available as well as platforms for women. They are stylistically versatile enough to be worn with a wide range of summer casuals from shorts to three-fourths and even summer suits.
Here is a selection of some of the finest examples of espadrilles we found on the Mr Porter website.
USD 580
Bright yellow jute is coupled with a rubber-sole and features signature intrecciato detailing at the heels.
USD 550
Crafted from dark-brown suede with rubber soles and collapsible supple leather heels.
USD 695
Made from soft navy suede with collapsible heels and durable rubber backing on the hand-woven jute soles.
GUCCI
USD 560
Featuring large vintage logo, they are made from hard-wearing canvas and have collapsible leather heels printed with a signature gold bee.
USD 590
Made from supple suede, they are set on traditional braided jute soles that have a rubber base for extra grip when exploring hilly or cobbled streets.
