One in Every Color: Castañer Espadrilles

(Updated March 17, 2021) When I find the platonic ideal of something - be it the perfect turtleneck, oxford shirt or espadrille - I'll often buy it in every color. Since many of us are currently tidying our closets and giving more thought to the clothing we keep, I thought it was apropos to start a series on the items I love so much I buy them over and over again. I've owned numerous pairs of Castañer's perfectly proportioned espadrilles over the years and they are perfectly suited for everything from backyard picnics now to warm weather getaways later. Lookalikes don't come close to the quality and durability of Castañer's designs, and they offer these timeless shoes in an array of colors and heel heights at a relatively affordable price, making it the perfect time to snap them up in every color.

I love brands with storied pasts and Castañer's history stretches back over two centuries to 1776 when Rafael Castañer, the family's first espadrille maker, was born. The family-run business opened their first workshop in Spain in 1927, was nationalized to create espadrilles for the Spanish army in the 30's, and by 1970 they were creating wedges for famous fashion houses such as Yves Saint Laurent.

Today, they continue to offer the perfect wedge espadrille year over year, and as many of us are looking forward to warm weather it's the perfect time to snap up a pair of these classic summer shoes. I prefer the 60mm and 80mm heel heights since part of an espadrille's charm is that it's easy to walk through grassy parks and sandy beach restaurants, if they get too high the comfort factor goes down. These espadrilles generally run true to size (I'm a US 8/ EU 38) and if you're in between sizes I recommend purchasing a size up. I love them so much I own them in pink, camel, yellow and black. Castañer's wedge espadrilles' cushion-y jute-wrapped soles are so comfortable I brought them on our world trip and wore them "hiking" around Machu Picchu. (Proof here, other outfits here, here and here.)