(This is part 2 of a 6-part series on brands I scoped during Pitti 106. Parts 3-6 will be published sequentially, so keep an eye out for those! Part 1 was published yesterday.)
Espadrilles are among the most basic, boring clothing items out there. Yet they’re a persistent style for just that reason. I stopped by the Castañer booth because of the name recognition (as with many brands, it was Greg and co. at No Man Walks Alone who first introduced their name to me via his shop).
Espadrilles as a concept are extremely mainstream via the Argentinian alpargatas, which inspired the founder of TOMS. Of course the origin of espadrilles is Continental—with medieval Spanish peasants wearing a rope-soled shoe while performing heavy manual labor. What I found interesting, however, is that the basic canvas silhouette we think of today as the espadrille is not necessarily the original design. Castañer makes a model more akin to the original, with flat ribbons attached at the toe that sweep back over the foot to attach around the ankle (see the photo below).
If you like espadrilles, as I do for casual summer wear at the pool, while grilling out or just hanging out with friends in the backyard, Castañer should be on your radar. Shop them at their website, Mr Porter, No Man Walks Alone.
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