There are garments —or in this case, footwear— that don’t shout but endure; that don’t need to impose themselves to stay. Espadrilles are one of those quiet pieces that reappear season after season, as if by chance, with the natural grace of something that knows it will never truly go away. Perhaps that’s why, even in the 21st century, they remain synonymous with summer, authenticity, and beauty without pretence.
Their story goes back centuries: espadrilles were once the shoes of farmers, fishermen, laborers… men and women who walked dry, dusty roads with only a jute sole beneath their feet. Born between northern Spain and southern France, they never sought to be fashionable, and yet somehow they were. Their simplicity, practicality, and lightness made them more than just a shoe — they became a way to experience summer.
Some images have become almost iconic: Dalí walking through Cadaqués in worn-out espadrilles, or Grace Kelly strolling along the Riviera in a shirt dress with ties wrapped around her ankles. Even today, on certain haute couture runways, they reappear as an unexpected nod to the land, to origins, to something essential. Because espadrilles, like true style, don’t speak in exclamations — they speak in coherence.
I remember the very first article I wrote for Telva magazine, on my very first day in the editorial office, was about them. A piece dedicated to the espadrilles of Toni Pons. There’s something almost poetic about that first story being tied to such a humble yet elegant shoe — so deeply rooted in our culture, in our traditions. Maybe that’s why, every summer, when I see them again in shop windows and suitcases, the memory returns, like stepping back into a childhood home.
To speak of Toni Pons is to speak of craftsmanship, of dedication, of villages where time moves at a different pace and shoes are still stitched by hand. Founded in the 1940s in Osor, Girona, the brand has preserved its artisanal soul while adapting to modern tastes. Today, you can find everything from classic canvas styles to reinterpretations in natural linen or leather, but the spirit remains unchanged: espadrilles made to last, to walk through summer after summer.
Someone once said, “There are shoes you inherit, like memories.” And espadrilles, with their ankle ties, braided jute soles, and fragile strength, belong to that category. You’ll find them with wedges, perfect for lifting a flowy dress; flat styles, ideal for wandering markets and alleyways; or mule versions, for those city days when you want comfort without sacrificing style. Each pair tells a story — even before you take a single step.
Espadrilles are not just a shoe: they’re a gesture that distills summer into a single stride, that carefree air found only in things that need no explanation. They carry the scent of earth, of home, of holidays… They are past, present, and what’s still to come. And perhaps that’s why some things never change — and, with a bit of luck, never will.
FIND YOUR ESPADRILLES
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