I am so excited about these espadrilles. About a month ago, we introduced our own branded espadrilles along with Sid and they are FANTASTIC. Since we opened back in 2010, we have sold Castañer espadrilles in our shop. I own and love those too. But for years, I have also been wearing my own espadrilles that I purchased in Spain years ago. Those softer, simpler espadrilles are at the heart of what Sid and I work to put on our lines… and different enough for me to walk you through WHY I love them so much and WHY they are a staple of my summer shoe lineup.
#1 They are authentic.
There is nothing like participating in something special made in the special place you are visiting. In Spain, you can buy espadrilles everywhere. They are like the NYC hot dog of Spain: you can get them on street corners... in the outdoor markets… and even in fancier shops with air conditioning. They look amazing stacked up on their backs, forming towers of color, divided by size as well as by their canvas ribbons streaming down. The very most classic are the unisex ones, flat and slip-on. A bit like a ballet flat, I suppose, although I wouldn’t say that to Sid who has made three colorways in this style. Often these turn into mules as you get lazy and flatten out the back by squashing it down with your heel. My own preference are the ones that you can tie criss-crossed up your ankle. They stay on better and give me some height.
The first time I visited Spain, I came home with over a dozen. The math worked out — two pairs for each of the five daughters and four for me. They were so affordable, and I had the suitcase space, so why not? (I travel light as a rule because I hate to wait for a checked bag… so even when there is limited room in my carry-on, I pack a small foldable duffel for any vacation purchases that just won’t fit. Also, the soft construction means these squeeze well.) My enthusiasm didn’t wane when I got home; in fact I was amazed at how often I continued to wear my little street purchases. The gifts that kept on giving. So pretty much since then, I have been pushing Sid to join me in making and selling our own.
#2 They are incredibly comfortable.
As I said, we sell Castañer espadrilles. Those, too, are authentic and wonderful… but they are a bit dressier in my opinion. I don’t wear them around town for errands. We sell mostly the higher ones - and they’re perfect with nearly everything that you would wear a higher heel with in the summer. A slightly earthier-feeling swap. But the Mashburn espadrilles are softer and easier to move in. You may not be able to jog in them… but let’s just say if you were chased, you would figure it out. They were never too fancy for me to wear to the soccer field or grocery store in the summer. They added something special to a really simple jeans and t-shirt day… (or even shorts back when I wore them!)
#3 They are the epitome of European chic.
We can get anything from anywhere at any time in 2025. But when I was growing up, we had no espadrilles in the Midwest. There were rope-bottomed shoes in the gift shops of Florida where we went a few times for spring break. And there were shoes from Pappagallo that sort of hinted at this. But when I spotted Sidney Mashburn in the summer of 1985 with a flat pair of espadrilles that he got from… who knows where…. I thought that was just about the coolest thing ever. (For the record, he had a killer pair of huaraches as well. I can’t imagine where he got those, either!) The fantasy of wearing something from a faraway place still hits for me.
#4 They are cool because they can be high-low.
There is something so chic in mixing something common with something special. It can exude confidence. It doesn't always work, but when it does, it really does. A simple cotton t-shirt with a full evening skirt. A silk blouse with military-issue fatigue pants. You know what I mean. For me, a pair of cotton espadrilles can take a pair of elegant, tropical-weight wool pants and a silk blouse down a notch in the most amazing way. Replace your strappy leather sandals with rope and canvas. And these are high-low in their very origin. Espadrilles were originally designed as shoes for peasants and farmers. They come from the Pyrenees region and the name comes from the Catalan word espardenya, which refers to the esparto grass used to make the original rope soles. They were beloved by these workers for their practicality and affordability, which is exactly what I love them for today.
I will admit that ours are not quite as inexpensive as those you will find on the street in Spain or France. (Although you need to buy the plane ticket to source them, which brings the total cost waaaaay up.) But they are an excellent value and not so expensive that you have to think twice about buying a pair and a spare.
We made them in the colors I wear most often: black, red, and navy stripe… but of course I needed to throw some day-glo in there with a very awesome green. And then there is a cool country-kitchen-towel-ish mixed stripe that I am already planning outfits around. A girl in our office bought two pairs and swapped the laces with each other so that her black pair had red ties. It looked amazing. Trust me: they will go with so much you already own.
Today, I love these espadrilles now even more than I did when I first came home with my stash from Spain. When our oldest got married in 2019, her 4 sisters walked down the aisle before her in white dresses. (Thank you Ulla Johnson, for the white eyelet capsule that spring!) But the memory here is that they all wore the Spanish espadrilles on their feet in different colors and heights. It was perfect. The wedding itself was a bit high-low — immediately after the vows, the guests carried their own chairs from the front yard ceremony to the backyard reception. A sort of barn-raising group activity. I don’t think of this every time I lace up my own espadrilles, but often enough that it makes me smile. My favorite things in my wardrobe are that way — they are wrapped up in sentiment. That’s why I have this blog in the first place. I cannot jam all my stories in product descriptions on the website, and I cannot be in person in all seven of our stores to share one-on-one. The memories make it for me. Of course I want to look great, but when I feel great, I tend to make more of a memory in what I’m wearing. These say European summer to me, even as I am home in Atlanta. And they really are awesome. Trust me.
