Monday, September 16, 2013

What Is an Espadrille?

What Is an Espadrille?

The espadrille is a traditional flat shoe designed with a canvas or cloth upper and soles made of rope, rubber or crepe. Shoemakers in the Pyrenees region, between Spain and France, first created the espadrille. By tradition, the espadrille had flat soles made of jute or esparto grass, a plant that produces fine, tough strands.

A Shoe from Spain

    The alpargatero was a medieval shoemaker specializing in making the espardenya shoe in the Pyrenees region of northern Spain. They wove the basic material for the shoe sole from tough esparto grass. The alpargatero singed the esparto strands over a hot fire and then braided them to create the shoe. They coated the bottom of the shoe with pitch. A seamstress completed the job of stitching the uppers, made from woven flax, to the sole. Soldiers from Aragon and Catalaonia wore the tough footwear while on campaign.

The Durable Espardenya

    The espardenya was inexpensive to make and very durable. The flexible rope soles allowed the shoe to conform to the shape of the foot, which made them extremely comfortable. Men as well as women wore espardenyas, which were ideal for work and travel over rough countryside and on mountain trails. They were suited for the warm summer months, but provided little warmth during the rest of the year.

Moving to France

    A modern Mossimo espadrille

    Espadrilles came well before the invention of modern sandals, boots or galoshes. French factories began imitating the handmade espardenya in the early 19th century, while the French language adapted the word espadrille from espardenya. The espadrille became a favorite of French miners.

Fashionable and Sensible Shoes

    In the 1950s, French designer Yves Saint Laurent introduced the espadrille to the fashion world, adding a heel and decorative ribbons to the simple shoe from the Pyrenees. Movie stars, fashion models and famous artists such as Pablo Picasso adopted the espadrille, which further spread its acceptance around the world.

Modern Forms

    Modern shoe companies manufacture shoes designed to look like espadrilles, but which often come with rubber or crepe soles rather than jute. The recent fashion for natural, organic materials, however, has brought braided jute back into fashion as a sole material. The espadrille can have open toes or heels, and fashion houses have added high heels, ribbons, decorative buttons and laces to the basic design.

Outsourcing Espadrilles

    As an important source of jute fiber, Bangladesh has become the major manufacturing source for espadrilles. A small percentage of espadrilles are still made in Spain and France, according to traditional designs and hand-stitching methods. Certain towns and regions have distinctive designs and colors for their espadrilles. There are families in northern Spain that still make their living from the home production of simple but comfortable espadrilles.



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