The espadrille has become an essential summer item, either in its original flat canvas format — once considered peasant wear in Spain’s Catalan region — or as tall wedges, flatform sandals, sneakers or boat shoes. Without a doubt, the jute-bottom look gives every type of footwear a summery slant.
For this season, three fun trends put a new twist on the basic espadrille.
First up is nautical stripes in classic colors such as red and blue. Versatile and lighthearted, stripes can take a shoe from the yacht to the beach to the park, and they pair well with your summer whites — or with other prints and patterns if you’re feeling bold.
We found three good examples of the look from Soludos, Sperry and Tory Burch.
Speaking of being bold, vivid colors are another way to freshen up your espadrille collection, either in tribal patterns (seen in many of the flats from Kaanas, a Colombia-made line), through color-blocking or in an all-over bright shade.
Lastly, look for exotic prints on the uppers of sandals and even slip-on flats from brands such as Fergie, Andre Assous and Vince. Snake-embossed materials have a natural vibe that blends well with rope bottoms, but they also can introduce a wild and dangerous element that should spice up your summer wardrobe.
To see examples of all three trends and find out where to buy them, click through the slideshow.
