Women's Espadrille Sandals Guide

Everything about an espadrille is in the sole: a light canvas shoe built on a plaited fibre sole is an espadrille, and when the upper opens up into straps, you have the espadrille sandal. Espadrilles — espardenyes in Catalan — are casual shoes with a canvas or cotton fabric upper and a flexible sole made of esparto rope, and that rope sole is the defining characteristic whatever the upper does.

A sandal, by contrast, is defined by openness: a sole held to the foot by straps over the instep and sometimes around the ankle. The espadrille sandal is where the two ideas meet — the summer shoe of the Mediterranean, unbothered, breathable and endlessly pairable. Its closed-toe sibling has its own guide; this page is about the open versions.

Wedges, Flats and Platforms

The wedge espadrille sandal is the icon: the rope sole builds into a wedge, the canvas upper wraps the toes, and long ribbon ties lace up the ankle. It gives height with a stable, walkable base and dresses up sundresses and linen instantly — the Riviera uniform. Wedge heights run from a gentle 4 cm lift to dramatic 10 cm platforms, and the tie length changes the look from neat bow at the ankle to full gladiator lacing up the calf.

Flat espadrille sandals keep the rope sole at ground level with two-strap, cross-strap or slide uppers — the beach-to-lunch shoe. Platform flatforms split the difference, adding height with an even sole. Closed-back and slingback versions hold the heel more securely than open slides and are the better choice for a full day of walking.

Uppers, Soles and Honest Construction

Traditional soles are braided jute or esparto grass fibre, stitched — not just glued — to the upper; that stitching, visible around the sole's edge, is the mark of the real construction. Modern versions often add a thin rubber outsole layer under the rope, which improves grip and keeps the braid from fraying on pavement. Canvas is the classic upper; leather and suede versions trade some of the beachy lightness for durability and a smarter finish.

The rope sole's weakness is water. Jute and esparto absorb moisture, swell and can mildew if they stay damp, so espadrille sandals are fair-weather shoes: let a soaked pair dry slowly and completely, away from radiators, and keep them for dry days. A season of dry-weather wear from a well-stitched pair beats three seasons from a glued one that splits by August.

Styling Espadrille Sandals

The wedge tie version wants floaty hemlines: midi sundresses, linen trousers cropped above the ankle tie, and white denim. Flat slides work with everything from shorts to a shirt dress, and metallic leather espadrille sandals carry the shape into evening far better than a canvas pair can.

Fit notes: canvas softens and stretches slightly, so a snug-but-not-tight start is right; with tie styles, lace firmly at the ankle first so the shoe does not slide forward onto the ties. Buy the wedge height you can walk a mile in, not the one that photographs best — espadrilles are holiday shoes, and holidays involve walking. For the closed-toe version of the same sole, see our espadrille shoes guide.

What Makes It an Espadrille?

It is all about the sole. An espadrille is a light canvas shoe with a plaited fibre sole. Espadrilles, or espardenyes, are casual, flat — but sometimes high-heeled — shoes that usually have a canvas or cotton fabric upper and a flexible sole made of esparto rope. The esparto rope sole is the defining characteristic of an espadrille; the uppers vary widely in style, and one of those options is the form of a sandal. A sandal is a light shoe with either an openwork upper or straps attaching the sole to the foot — an open type of footwear, consisting of a sole held to the wearer's foot by straps going over the instep and, sometimes, around the ankle. Put the two together and you have this page's subject. For dressier open shoes in a different construction, see our dress sandals guide, and for the closed-toe original, learn more about espadrilles in the shoes guide linked below.

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