Espadrilles

Espadrilles, alpargatas or espardenyes are casual, flat, but sometimes high-heeled shoes originating in Valencia, Spain. They usually have a canvas or cotton fabric upper and a flexible sole made of esparto rope. The esparto rope sole is the defining characteristic of an espadrille; the uppers vary widely in style.

The existence of this kind of shoe in Europe is documented since at least 1322, when it was described for the first time with its current Catalan name.

The term espadrille is French and derives from the word in the Occitan language, which comes from espardenya, in Catalan or alpargata and esparteña in Castilian/Spanish. Both espardenya and esparteña refer to a type of shoes made with esparto, a tough, wiry Mediterranean grass used in making rope. Its name in the Basque region is espartina.

Espadrilles have been made in Occitania region (France), in the Pyrennean regions of Basque country (France - Spain) and Catalonia (Spain), since the 14th century at least, and there are shops in the Basque country (France - Spain) still in existence that have been making espadrilles for over a century. The oldest, most primitive form of espadrilles dates as far back as 4000 years ago. Traditional espadrilles have a canvas upper with the toe and vamp cut in one piece and seamed to the rope sole at the sides. Often they have laces at the throat that are wrapped around the ankle to hold the shoes securely in place. Traditional espadrilles are worn by both men and women.

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