The Best Espadrilles, According to Some of the Most Tasteful People I Know

Castañer may be the most famous maker of espadrilles. The company opened up a workshop in Bañolas, Spain, in 1927 and made awedgewith Yves Saint Laurent in 1970. It’s a name I heard often while reporting out this guide, too, and I wasn’t surprised: Its espadrilles are well-made and wear well. “Like everyone, I’ve worn my share of Castañers,” says illustratorJoana Avillez. (“I have spent time studying Grace Kelly’s lace-ups fromTo Catch a Thief, as well as photos of my teenage mom’s espadrilles one summer she spent in Caracas,” Avillez adds.)Emilia Petrarca, who writes the newsletterShop Rat, has been buying different styles for years. The Kendas transcend “whatever Europe-core moment we’re in right now,” Petrarca tells me.

Petrarca just took Castañer’s Joyce on a Roman holiday. It’s her new preferred style. “I like the pointier toe, personally, and think they make them look a bit more elegant,” she says.

Grace Atwood, founder ofThe Stripeand co-host of the podcastBad on Paper, calls Castañer’s Carina “wildly comfortable.” Atwood, who “cannot do uncomfortable shoes,” thinks they feel “like walking on a cloud.” Petrarca warns that the ties on them can come undone, but they’re one of the only heels she can walk in during the summer months.

Like me,Love and Other Rugs’sLily Sullivanis impressed by the espadrilles coming out ofJ.Crewunder creative director Olympia Gayot. “They aren’t taking themselves too seriously,” Sullivan says. It seems likewe’re showing our toesfor another summer at least.

New to Rothy’s line is the Espadrille Mary Jane. Because of the knit, which reminds me of fishnet (very sexy for Rothy’s), they hug your feet. It’s a silhouette that hides unpedicured toes, and as with every other Rothy’s I’ve tried, they’re ready to wear right out of the box. Del Russo says they’re more comfortable than her Soludos. She once got to 20,000 steps while running around Manhattan and Brooklyn in them, and her feet didn’t even ache the next day.

I recently received these and didn’t take them off for about a week after they arrived. Between the open back and peep-toe, they’re easy to slip on and off. The striped ribbon gives them a nautical vibe, and overall they lean “espadrille formal” — they would look right at home on a Hamptons waterfront or a Myrtle Beach rental. I’ll be wearing them with linen pants and cottoncover-upsall summer.

Personal shopperMeredith Kassler’s Soludos have been to Lisbon, Nantucket, and Montauk. They’re the “essence of summer” to her. If she’s going on a weekend beach getaway, she’s packing the Smoking Mules. Not only do they not sink in the sand, they’re easy to fit in asuitcase(even beside yoursun hat,beach towel, andswimsuit).

When I first talked to copywriter andSmall Pleasuresnewsletter writerSandy Sanchez, these Loeffler Randall Clover espadrilles were sitting in her cart. (They’re not cheap at $295, after all.) By the next week, she had placed the order. “Breaking them in was pretty easy after a couple of hours, so I think they’re only going to get more comfortable with time,” she told me. No matter where she’s going this summer, Sanchez says they’re probably coming with.

The union of espadrille andloafer, Ralph Lauren’s Luizes aren’t as informal as others on this list. They’re a good spring-to-summer shoe, saysFaye Harris Wood, co-founder ofEauso Vert. “They still have the smart element of a loafer, while the espadrille sole makes them perfect for warmer weather,” she tells me. “They go with everything.” (Just be sure to spray them with asuede protector.) Unlike other espadrilles that feel too flat on her feet, these espadrilles have a bit of cushioning. “I actually usually struggle with new shoes and end up with torn-up feet for a while, but these haven’t caused me any problems,” she adds.

Utibe Mbagwu, a social-media strategist, got these espadrilles “on a whim” before traveling to Madrid some years ago. “Post-Europe, I’ll wear them for a simple day of small adventures,” Mbagwu says. She thinks they’re especially suited for the “espadrille-curious,” as they’re comfy, beachy, and breathable “without going full Sienna Miller all at once.”

“Naguisa has a beautiful sensibility for color, texture, and shape,” saysThe Great Erosfounder Christina Viviani. Its espadrille line includesginghampatterns and fisherman-stylestraps. You’ll see her in the Soc, inspired by theespardenyesthat aredanced in. “If I need something a little more elevated than my usual Birkenstocks, I reach for these,” Viviani says. The espadrilles go with everything, and she wears them anywhere she’s chasing her toddler around, “which feels like everywhere these days.” (Also: ThePeoniafrom Naguisa remindsKeepsakecreatorJulianna Salgueroof the espadrilles she saw in Spanish markets growing up. They’re on her shopping list for now.)

[Editor’s note: The company lists its prices in euros, so this is an approximation to dollars.]

Sephora’s beauty directorMelinda Solaresdoesn’t mind a stiletto — but touring a Mexican resort and restaurant-hopping in Nice necessitated something else entirely. And while she wouldn’t wear an espadrille typically, these weren’t “your typical espadrilles.” There might be abigwedge between her and the ground, but. “compliments of the platform that offsets some of the height,” Solares says she can manage.

Chef (and former Strategist senior editor)Kiki Aranitapurchased Manebí’s espadrilles in multiples (one pair for her husband and three pairs for herself), as they’re high-quality and made from a heavy-duty, durable suede. Aranita has taken them all over the Yucatán and Hawaii — the included dust bag has become her go-to bag for packing shoes for her trips.

Once Christian Dior’s shoemaker, Roger Vivier makes the kind of shoes seen on aFrench courtesan. Its espadrilles are a favorite of mine; I’ve worn them for two summers in a row now. You wouldn’t be able to tell, even as the shoes have gone through dirt, grass, and uneven sidewalks without so much as a scratch on one of the rhinestones. If you’re thinking of splurging, get yourself a pair.

WriterJo Rosenthalhas lived three years of “”espadrille bliss” with these wedges from Vibi Venezia. “You could say it was love at first shoe, since they are the only espadrilles I have now,” she says. Rosenthal wears them more than most of her sandals, as she doesn’t like showing her toes too much. These have gone to Miami and Cincinnati and even been worn to tea at the Plaza. They’re as “if Italy became a shoe and moved to downtown Manhattan,” Rosenthal says.

[Editor’s note: The company lists its prices in euros, so this is an approximation to dollars.]