The great thing about espadrilles,” says a well-connected friend who wore a pair to her royal wedding, “is that you can greet them. The sole gives you support so you sway less when you bend over.’
Spanish shoes are everywhere. Zara Tindall wore a black pair at Wimbledon. Lady Violet Manners appeared as a white couple in the final of the Cartier Queen’s Cup Polo. The Countess of Wessex also chose white on a recent trip to Cyprus.
Almost all the women of the Spanish royal family have stepped into these shoes recently, including Queen Letizia and young princesses Leonor and Sofia.
The Duchess of Cambridge has just come out: She kicked a soccer ball while wearing nude espadrilles at an event in Cambridgeshire last month.
In the summer, woven shoes are an essential part of elegant women at events where the wedge prevents them from sinking into the grass, such as polo matches or competitions. But this year, it’s more pervasive than ever as the social scene is in full swing for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
A type of Spanish sandal popular this summer, espadrilles are worn by celebrities and royalty, but their whimsical aesthetic has aroused disbelief.
The wedge heel prevents the wearer from sinking into the grass while also providing support for easy folding, perfect for royal garden parties.
Net-a-Porter says sales of espadrilles are up more than 50% year over year
Made in Spain in the 14th century, they were worn by soldiers and peasants.
Last month, Kate Middleton kicked a soccer ball while wearing nude espadrilles at an event in Cambridgeshire.
Alizee Thevenet (pictured) was spotted wearing white espadrilles with her husband, James Middleton, at Wimbledon.
Net-a-Porter says sales of espadrilles are up more than 50% year-on-year. Yes, it can be said that it is the season of their owners.
The most authentic brand is the Spanish line Castaner, founded in 1927, worn by royalty from around the world and sold by Net-a-Porter and Selfridges. But other companies are following suit. This summer Marks & Spencer will be selling a £29.50 pink pair that will be selected by fashion editors. British brand Holland Cooper, also worn by the Duchess of Cambridge, has launched the inaugural line of both straight and wedge versions.
At a Home Counties wedding last month, I counted five pairs of pastel-coloured Penelope Chilvers espadrilles tied with a vibrant velvet ribbon.
“Everyone in fashion in one way or another wore them at the Henley Regatta this year,” says one socialite. “They are acceptable in tennis and polo.”
“I will die in my Kastaners,” says another devotee, praising them for being practical and comfortable. “Unless they get wet at a Cornish wedding, they look like they’re wearing diving boots because they’re so heavy.”
Their high status is ironic for a shoe of such humble origin; Like jeans, espadrilles were originally functional workwear.
Made in Spain in the 14th century, they were worn by soldiers and peasants; Mediterranean grass, an inexpensive and relatively sturdy shoe made with esparto, covered the woven soles with canvas.
During the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s, they became symbols of the working class worn by resistance soldiers fighting against the fascists.
When they became fashionable, they were adopted by slightly less working class people.
Coco Chanel wore them on the French Riviera, adorning them with pearls and a sailor’s hat. Nearly a decade later, Lauren Bacall wore them with Grace Kelly at High Society alongside Humphrey Bogart in Key Largo. If you go to Provence or Puglia this summer, you will find similar pairs in the supermarket for €10 each.
The wedge heel wasn’t invented until the 1970s, after designer Yves Saint Laurent met a couple at a Paris fair and asked Lorenzo and Isabel Castaner to design a heeled heel for him. The style got its start and is still family-owned today, the Castaner sells 30,000 pairs a year in more than 50 countries.
Little miracle. Espadrilles are not only extremely comfortable, but also breathable so you won’t get feet sweaty. Tightening the ribbon around your legs will make you feel elegant like a ballerina.
Lady Violet Diana, a model, wore fashionable shoes at Cartier Queen’s Cup Polo 2022.
Coco Chanel wore them on the French Riviera, adorning them with pearls and a sailor’s hat. Nearly a decade later, Lauren Bacall wore them with Grace Kelly (pictured) at High Society alongside Humphrey Bogart in Key Largo.
A version of the shoes will be available this summer from Marks & Spencer’s for an affordable £29.50.
Men are generally not fans. “I’m a lot more Agha than Victoria’s Secret. Horribly plain and not very sexy, ‘a man from the city grunts
“It looks like you have bales of hay tied to your feet,” another friend explains.
If I can hide my toes by wearing these around the pool in the summer, I will (I wish more people felt the same way)
Zara Tindall wore a black pair at Wimbledon. Lady Violet Manners appeared as a white couple in the final of the Cartier Queen’s Cup Polo.
Almost all the women of the Spanish royal family have stepped into these shoes recently, including Queen Letizia and young princesses Leonor and Sofia.
“They’re great for taller women,” adds a friend who’s more than a foot and a half tall, “because you can choose a lower wedge and still feel like a lady.”
For cruising to the beach or going to the pool, flat ones are, in my opinion, much more stylish than lumpy Birkenstocks or flimsy flip-flops—and if I can keep my toes hidden in the summer, I will (but more people feel the same way).
However, not everyone is convinced. “It looks like bales of hay are tied to your feet,” says a friend.
And a few weeks ago, I needed evening shoes for a vacation in Sicily, and that seemed like the obvious answer to me. In my mind, I’d float around the Italian island in a flamboyant pair of dresses in the elegant Penelope Cruz style. But after trying different versions, I decided that I could only make do with nude or very pale espadrilles, because tying dark ribbons around my ankles shortened my legs and made them look like logs.
Men are generally not fans. “I’m a lot more Agha than Victoria’s Secret. Not too ugly and not too sexy,” says a man in town.
I cannot please everyone. But I love my pair of light pink from LK Bennett and will wear them all summer until they stretch and fade (in my experience they usually only last one season).
And remember, if you’ve been invited to a royal wedding or perhaps a garden party at Buckingham Palace, it’s much easier to give in.
Source: Daily Mail
