Women's Espadrilles

Lightweight, comfortable, alternative, versatile. Espadrilles are the most beloved summer footwear because they can be paired with all outfits, from rock-style shorts and t-shirts to bohemian long, floral dresses. They are known as "poor shoes" but their popularity is such that they have become one of the trendiest shoes of all time.

Women's Espadrilles: quality and simplicity

Espadrilles, also known as Alpargatas, are canvas shoes with a hemp sole. Their origin is Spanish, but they have also passed through Europe and Latin America where they have certainly left their mark.

They were probably invented in ancient Roman times, or they date back to 19th-century Basque fishermen who began using them for their lightness. Originally, they were made with canvas and natural fibers woven together for a final result very similar to today's.

The brand Castañer, in the person of its namesake founder Luis, made them a fashion cult. He began selling the first commercial Espadrilles in Girona, marketing them as traditional summer footwear in his atelier of women's shoes.

Original and fashionable women's espadrille shoes

These shoes were an unexpected success, so much so that even names like Brigitte Bardot and Grace Kelly wanted to buy them to show off on various occasions. The big leap in quality came a few years later, in the early 1970s, when Castañer made an agreement with none other than Yves Saint Laurent, in Paris.

High and low women's espadrilles

During that meeting, the first wedge espadrille model was designed, and this shoe definitively went from being poor footwear to an absolute trend accessory.