Espadrilles might just be the summeriest of shoes, with their rope soles that look equally right on a sailboat as they do on the cobblestoned streets of Lisbon (or on the pavement sidewalks of Brooklyn, for that matter). Not quite a sandal and not quite a flat, they come in many forms: There are wedge espadrilles, platforms, and slides, to name a few. To find those worth adding to your cart, I asked newsletter writers, brand founders, and my fellow Strategist writers about their espadrilles of choice. Here you’ll find pairs from the decades-old brand Soludos, “wildly comfortable” Castañers, and a few that we might even call “espadrille formal.” (And if you’re looking for more summer shoes to shop, read our guide to the best sandals.)
Castañer is probably the most renowned maker of espadrilles — the brand opened its workshop in Bañolas, Spain, back in 1927 and made a wedge with Yves Saint Laurent in 1970. It’s the name I heard most often while reporting for this guide, too, and I wasn’t surprised: Its espadrilles are good-looking, well-made, and long lasting. “Like everyone, I’ve worn my share of Castañers,” says illustrator Joana Avillez. (“I have spent time studying Grace Kelly’s lace-ups from To Catch a Thief, as well as photos of my teenage mom’s espadrilles one summer she spent in Caracas,” Avillez adds.) Emilia Petrarca, author of the newsletter Shop Rat, has been buying different styles, including these Kendas, for years. The espadrilles transcend “whatever Europe-core moment we’re in right now,” Petrarca tells me. They “make me feel like I’m at the beach, wherever I am.”
Grace Atwood, founder of The Stripe and co-host of the podcast Bad on Paper, is a Castañer fan, too, and calls the classic Carina “wildly comfortable.” Atwood, who “cannot do uncomfortable shoes,” says the wedge-on-a-platform sole feels “like walking on a cloud” and softens the three-inch heel. Petrarca likes to wear wedged Castañers when she needs a little height. The ties on the Carina can sometimes come undone, but “they’re the only heels I can walk in during the summer,” she says.
Intrigued by a review of Rothy’s mary janes, Strategist writer Dominique Pariso tried out the brand’s new espadrille style. A few weeks’ worth of wear — including donning them for dinners and some spins around town — and they’re already giving her “all the comfort” she’s come to expect from Rothy’s, which has earned something of a reputation for making super-comfortable shoes. And comfortable the espadrilles are, as they were one of the only shoes Pariso could bear while nursing a bad ankle and going through a bout of plantar fasciitis.
“Truth be told, I don’t love a sandal (this is scandalous considering I’m from Florida), but these slot nicely into that category for me,” says Tyler McCall, a freelance writer (and former editor-in-chief of Fashionista). McCall has owned a striped pair of Soludos for over a decade and told me the pair have held up well to the usual wear and tear. “They’re the perfect summery shoe, looking just as good with dresses as they do a pair of cutoff shorts,” she says. “They end up packed on just about every beach vacation I’ve ever been on.”
For a shorter trip to the beach, McCall relies on this Soludos espadrille style. “It’s not always ideal to have to lace or unlace a shoe” in the sand, she tells me. This pair, which slide on and off, do just the trick.
Utibe Mbagwu, a digital-marketing strategist, got these espadrilles “on a whim” before traveling to Madrid some years ago. “Post-Europe, I’ll wear them for a simple day of small adventures,” Mbagwu says. She thinks they’re especially suited for the “espadrille-curious,” as they’re comfy, beachy, and breathable “without going full Sienna Miller all at once.”
The candy-cane-striped Venetian slippers from Vibi Venezia are espadrille-inspired, with rope-ish trimming on top of a rubber sole. These are the “espadrilles” that Elizabeth Cardinal Tamkin, author of the newsletter Corner Booth and content director at Kule, has owned the longest and worn the most. “I have walked many, many steps in many pairs of these,” Tamkin tells me. She describes them as the “perfect vacation shoe” for packing in a suitcase and adding a “punch of pattern to even the simplest of outfits on hot days.” (They came with Tamkin on a trip to Spain not too long ago.) The cotton the shoes are made from is easy to clean, too, with dabs of Tide-to-Go getting out the little stains gotten along the way.
[Editor’s note: The brand lists its prices in euros, so this is an approximation to dollars.]
Jo Rosenthal, a writer, has lived in “two years of espadrille bliss” with these wedges. “You could say it was love at first shoe since they are the only espadrilles I have now,” she says. Rosenthal even wears them more than most of her sandals, since she doesn’t like showing her toes too much. These have gone to Miami, Cincinnati, and even been worn to tea at the Plaza. The velvet, grosgrain-trimmed espadrilles feel like “if Italy became a shoe and moved to downtown Manhattan,” Rosenthal describes.
[Editor’s note: The brand lists its prices in euros, so this is an approximation to dollars.]
The latest espadrilles Tamkin has added to her closet happen to be on the traditional side but with an “interesting shape” — a rounded-out square toe — that keeps them from seeming boring. “I haven’t seen espadrilles in that silhouette before,” she says. They’re “summer’s answer’s to ballet flats.”
“Naguisa has a beautiful sensibility for color, texture, and shape,” according to Christina Viviani, founder of The Great Eros. Its line of espadrilles include gingham patterns and fisherman-style straps. This summer, you’ll see her in the Soc, inspired by the espardenyes that are danced in. “If I need something a little more elevated than my usual Birkenstocks, I reach for these,” she says. The espadrilles go with everything, and she wears them “anywhere I’m chasing my 1-year-old around, which feels like everywhere these days.”
[Editor’s note: The brand lists its prices in euros, so this is an approximation to dollars.]
The beribboned ballerina-espadrilles from Flabelus are, as artist Maggie Mae Featherstone describes, “whimsical, Coney Island–strolling shoes that scream double gelato scoops and lazes by the lake.” These come in “all the colors of the rainbow” including a delightful cherry red with bubblegum-pink piping. Featherstone goes for anything that’s green. These are a very loose interpretation of an espadrille, as the sole is made out of rubber. (Flabelus makes a wedge for the traditionalists.) But their bottom helps “if you’re ever caught in a classic New York monsoon.” These do the zhuzhing up while she’s on a grocery-store run or taking a walk through the park. Just note that Featherstone recommends sizing up, as the shoes run about half a size smaller.
Strategist senior editor Kiki Aranita has a habit of kicking off her shoes when getting into the car for road trips, then losing them at gas stations. That’s the reason she’s purchased Manebí’s espadrilles in multiples (one pair for her husband and three pairs for herself), as these are high-quality, made from a heavy-duty, durable suede otherwise. Aranita has taken them all over the Yucatán and Hawaii — the included dust bag has become her go-to bag for packing shoes for her trips.
Once Christian Dior’s shoemaker, Roger Vivier makes the kind of shoes seen on a French courtesan. Its espadrilles are a favorite of mine; I’ve worn them for two summers in a row now. You wouldn’t be able to tell, even as the shoes have gone through dirt, grass, and uneven sidewalks without so much as a scratch on one of the rhinestones. These are made from a leather that feels broken-in from the beginning and a padded footbed that’s easy on the soles of my feet. If you’re going to splurge, get yourself a pair.
Additional reporting by Hilary Reid
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