The do’s and don’ts of wearing espadrilles this summer
telegraph.co.ukthe shoes of choice for the well heeled at Soho Roc House Mykonos and Club 55 St Tropez. Either way, the romance of a humble jute sole has never been more appealing.
It’s also democratic. The espadrille is ageless, timeless, classless and genderless. They were the footwear of choice for Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali (the surrealist was so synonymous with the shoe, Penelope Chilvers’ signature espadrille is named after him).
JFK wore them in Cape Cod. Grace Kelly had a pair in To Catch a Thief. Then in the Seventies, Yves Saint Laurent inspired a new generation of espadrille lovers when he commissioned a wedge style from Spanish espadrille maker Castañer; the “Carina” remains a favourite with royals including Queen Letizia of Spain and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, as well as the Duchesses of Cambridge and Sussex.“There’s something nostalgic about an espadrille,” says Amy Williams, founder of British footwear label Drilles. “I think about the simple canvas versions you might have had as a child – bought for a few Francs on a family camping holiday, worn to death in a fortnight and discarded as soon as you started packing for home.” Her elegant leather iterations (from £149, drilles.com) are designed with more endurance in mind, with a cushioned sole and leather lining, available in a rainbow of vibrant colours.If you want the real deal, Spain remains the best place to buy them – Casa Hernanz in Madrid and La Manual Alpargatera in Barcelona are the most famous destinations – but you don’t need to suffer a 5am Ryanair flight to get your hands on an authentic pair; if you need them in time for the weekend, you can get a pair of Gaimo sandals (£60, selfridges.com) or Castañer ankle tie flats (£90, net-a-porter.com) quicker.
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