Espadrilles are arguably the most popular shoes of the summer, but did you know that they were created over 90 years ago in Spain by a brand called Castañer? The shoes are now worn by plenty of celebrities, such as Alexa Chung, Meghan Markle, and Kate Middleton, and they're always high on the vacation packing lists of many fashion editors. I can personally attest to that.
Much like some other iconic wardrobe staples today (the trench coat, the bomber jacket, and the Breton top), this footwear item was originally worn by the military, particularly during the Spanish Civil War. This all changed in the '60s when Nordic countries began to wear the sandals as a fashion item thanks to Lorenzo Castañer and his wife Isabel taking over the family company and adding colors to the shoes.
Anna Wintour isn't immune to the simple and chic nature of the espadrille. Surely one of the biggest endorsements around?
Then in the '70s, while at a trade fair, the duo met Yves Saint Laurent, who commissioned Castañer to create him a pair of wedge espadrilles. Ever since then, the brand has been making these shoes for fashion houses, including the likes of Christian Dior, Armani, Louis Vuitton, Lanvin, Hermès, and Christian Louboutin. The flat version is still one of the brand's more popular styles to date (by 2010, it had sold over eight million pairs), but the wedge styles have proved very popular, with various celebrities and influencers regularly spotted wearing them. Keep scrolling to see the varied styles of espadrilles, how to style them, and then shop them. Trust us—you'll never throw them out of your wardrobe.
Style Notes: Vogue Paris editor Emmanuelle Alt wearing flat black espadrilles during Paris Fashion Week.
Style Notes: Another huge endorsement of the espadrille comes from Coco Chanel. The designer liked to wear them on vacation.
Style Notes: We've mentioned this before, but Kate Middleton is often spotted wearing a pair of Castañer's wedge espadrilles.
Shop the Wedges
This post originally appeared on Who What Wear UK.
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