The cult summer staple with the humble heritage.

They're the classic shoe of Ibiza and for some seasons they have been back in fashion, partly undermining the ever-present <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/fashion/ballet-flats-to-shop-tory-burch-miu-miu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ballerina flats</a> and becoming one of the most desired shoes of the summer. Comfortable, fresh and in a thousand possible colours, you can't help but love espadrilles, in the days of summer as well as those of spring. It is a shoe that hides an ancient history that leads them back to the heights of the Pyrenees, the mountain range that marks the border between Spain and France .
Scroll down to discover the history of espadrille shoes, from fishermen to Yves Saint Laurent.

The history of espadrilles, from fishermen to high fashion

France and Spain have been contending for the primacy of having invented them for centuries, even if the little information we have leaves little room for doubt: espadrilles are Spanish and, more precisely, from the Basque Country . But why are they called espadrilles ? The original word seems to be both espardenya which, in Catalan, indicated footwear made of espart, called espart by the locals: a Mediterranean plant used precisely to make the ropes which later served as a sole. A perfect combination of cotton canvas and corded sole. One wonders how such a poor accessory and the prerogative only of fishermen has become an icon.

The meeting between Castañer and Yves Saint Laurent

It was 1927 when Luis Casta&ntilde;er and Tomas Serra, his cousin, chose to open their business of production of espadrilles (or alpargates) in Girona, the beating heart of Catalonia. Success came immediately, but the turning point happened between the 50s and <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/fashion/look-outfit-beach-fashion-inspired-by-icons-60s-70s-80s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">60s</a> when the company, with a stroke of luck, won the hearts of Grace Kelly and, subsequently, of <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/culture/why-you-must-see-this-exhibition-of-portraits-by-brigitte-bardot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brigitte Bardot</a>, <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/culture/history-behind-jackie-kennedy-pink-suit-chanel-jfk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jackie Kennedy</a> and even Salvador Dal&igrave; , who wore them immediately. But it was 1972 when Lorenzo Casta&ntilde;er and his wife Isabel met <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/fashion/yves-saint-laurent-s-most-iconic-wedding-dresses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yves Saint Laurent</a> in Paris and together with him created the first model with a wedge, making this very poor shoe a cult item in a short time. Espradilles immediately appealed to the fashion world and to the customers of the boutiques of the Paris of the time. From then on, the rest is history: wearable by men and women equally, in the most varied colours and patterns, espadrilles are now a timeless <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/fashion/5-fabulous-female-owned-accessory-brands-to-shop-this-international-women-s-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accessory</a>, perfect for every season with the certainty of never making mistakes.

Ibiza style: the history of espadrilles from fishermen to Yves Saint Laurent.

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