If you have been seeing these distinctive looking shoes all around you and have been seeing the white soles on the feet of fashionable men and women all summer you must be wondering what these cool new shoes are and which of the numerous styles of them are right for you.
These shoes are called Espadrilles and they are the hottest things this summer. The short version of the story is that they are casual shoes with rope soles that are available in a number of styles that are perfect for summer and equally perfect for men as well as women. The really great news for you is that unlike any other hot style of shoe that has come into vogue in recent memory Espadrilles are cheap and cheerful and hence you can probably buy more than one style like flat Espadrilles or wedge Espadrilles but some styles are more suited to women than other.
It sounds too good to be true but Espadrilles actually have very humble beginning despite the fact that they are the must have style of shoes this summer around the world and at picnics, outdoor events, garden parties and just generally everywhere, you are bound to notice them on the feet of hip people of all ages and both sexes. Espadrilles may be popular with the urban dwelling hipster in fashion capitals around the world today but they were originally invented in the fourteenth century in an area in Spain as shoes for the rural poor, farmers and peasants. They were made out of the cheapest and most abundant raw materials at the time.
Hence the uppers were made out of canvas cloth or cotton and the soles were intricately moulded out of braided and shaped rope that itself was made out of a grass that is endemic and abundant in the area. The grass is called Esparto and its name is the root from which the French name espadrille is derived.
Today these shoes are mainly made in the south Asian country of Bangladesh where the most abundant material to make rope out of is jute. This is what give the soles of authentic Espadrilles their distinctive white colour and even the imitations that use synthetic materials like rubber or plastic are painted this bright white to make them look more authentic.
There are a number of styles of Espadrilles like flats, wedge espadrilles, versions with closed or open toes and slip on as well as lace up styles. Choose one that suits you best and that you find most comfortable. The most popular style with women around the world though seems to be the wedge Espadrille.