What does espadrille mean?
An espadrille is a lightweight casual shoe consisting of a canvas or cotton upper attached to a flexible sole traditionally made of braided rope or cord. Originating in Catalonia and the Basque regions of Spain and southern France, where it was long the everyday footwear of farmers and workers, the espadrille later spread across Europe and beyond as fashionable summer wear. The word is nearly always encountered in the plural, since the shoes are worn in pairs, as in "a pair of white espadrilles." Today the term evokes warm weather, holidays, and relaxed Mediterranean style; designers have produced wedge-heeled and platform versions that became especially popular from the mid-twentieth century onward. Its distinctive construction — soft fabric above, coiled rope beneath — remains the defining feature that sets it apart from ordinary sneakers or sandals.
nounA light shoe with a flexible rope or canvas sole and an upper made of canvas or cotton fabric, traditionally worn in Spain and southern France.
- A light summer shoe with a woven-rope or canvas sole and a canvas upper, originally from Catalonia and the Basque region.
"She swapped her boots for a pair of canvas espadrilles as summer arrived."
"He packed nothing but linen shirts and espadrilles for the trip to Barcelona."
"Wedge-heeled espadrilles became a staple of French resort fashion in the 1970s."
The plural is by far the most common form, as the word usually refers to footwear worn in pairs.
"Her espadrilles were scuffed from a summer of walking along the coast."
The humble espadrille has been made the same way for centuries — its sole is literally braided rope, once twisted from a Mediterranean grass called esparto.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of espadrille
Espadrille entered English in the early nineteenth century from French espadrille, which derives from Occitan and Catalan espardenya, itself formed on espart — the Spanish name for a tough Mediterranean grass (Latin spartum, Greek sparton) whose fibers were braided into rope for the soles. The English word esparto, denoting that grass and its fiber, is a direct cognate from the same Mediterranean source.
How espadrille is actually used
Almost always used in the plural when referring to a pair; the singular is chiefly used attributively or in counting individual shoes ("one espadrille was missing"). The word carries warm, summery connotations and is associated with Mediterranean leisure fashion.