Espadrille

Espadrilles are lightweight summer slip shoes, loose closure whose shaft made of cotton or linen and the sole is made of knotted vegetable fibers ( flax, hemp).

History

This shoe model was prepared and carried especially in Spain and southern France. The word espadrille comes from the Provençal ( Occitan ). It is probably due to the Esparto originally used for the sole ( prairie grass ). In its original Spanish home ( one suspects the origin of the shoe on Mallorca) this shoe models are accordingly espardenyes ( in Catalan) or alpargatas called ( in Spanish).

Meanwhile, there is a well-known summer shoe model, which is available in every conceivable body colors and is sometimes called erroneously " espadrilles ". Espadrilles came as a summer season Article in German speaking countries in the 1980s, the height of fashion and were worn mainly by young people like. Even in the same decade resulted in cheap imports from Asia to a hard competition with the original European manufacturers, which led to a sometimes dramatic drop in prices.

Properties

Espadrilles are very breathable due to the air-permeable and absorbent materials; In addition, also very easy; they offer but on the other hand, the foot no hold, no support and minimal attenuation.

Due to its simple structure ( nature fabric upper is sewn with a very rough overcast seam to the bottom ) these shoes cost well under 10 € ( 2005). However, they resist pronounced as " summer shoes " not humid conditions. An improvement of the resistance to damp substrates brought a completely or at least partially coating the tread of hemp sole with a thin layer of rubber. However, this begins, caused by the constant bending load and the difficult attachment to the coarse plant fibers the main sole, to solve partially after a short time and then tears sooner or later on.

Use

A pure, barefoot wearing summer shoes for both men and women ( and children) for dry ground and no long distances. Since the rear shaft part can be easily folded inward toward the sole, espadrille also be used as slipper -like slip shoes.

Variants

Well-known designer labels and " hip " brands brought espadrille -like models with imprints in brand colors ( for example, at Tommy Hilfiger ) or with a leather shaft ( for example in the retail chain Görtz ) to correspondingly higher prices on the market. The most well-known manufacturers for Lederespadrillen which are the classic original on the next, the unjustifiable in Alicante Label Lika Mimika. In the summer collection of well-known fashion brands ( Hermès, Zanotti, Ungaro, Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton) found in 2005 on the topic "Riviera - high-society -Shoe " or " Dolce Vita espadrille " numerous canvas shoes as pure ladies' models with wedge heel. Not only the introduction of the paragraph, but also an additional lacing on these ladies summer shoes, though still gives an idea of the model origin, but these shoes are not attributable more espadrilles.

Espadrilles / Espardenyes in folk song and folk art

In the folk song and folk art of the Catalan countries play the espadrilles, known there mainly Espardenyes, a significant, almost existential role. An example of the former like the Valencian folk song Albaes (German: Morgenständchen ) are. Here is a verse specifically of the Espardenyes:

Albaes (German: Morgenständchen, detail)

A la vora del riu, mare,

M'he deixat les espardenyes. (2x)

Mare, no li-ho diga al pare

Que jo TORNARE a per elles. (2x)

Mother, on the banks of the river

I have my Espardenyes left.

Mother, do not tell this to the Father!

Because I 'm going back to fetch them.

If one interprets this verse from the entire context of the song out ( the moon envies the girl to his love, etc.), the lost Espardenyes are symbolic of the "innocence" of the girl, it has lost the river mentioned in the song well.

The espardenyes are traditionally an element of the peasant, Catalan folk costume. This is also adjacent idealized Art Pottery ( 4 framed tiles) with a Sardana motif. Two young couples dancing in Catalan peasant costume the Sardana. The two men wear the espardenyes as footwear. The pronounced spread of espardenyes in the Catalan peasant folk culture ( folk song, folk dance, folk art ) suggests an origin of this shoe type on the rural environment of the Catalan Countries ( Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearic Islands ).

Linguistic

The origin of the term lies in the Provencal / Okzitanischem: " espardillo " (from " Espart " for esparto ).

• Espadrilles is used in the English-speaking world as an umbrella term for canvas shoes with hemp or straw sole, with all the Mediterranean and South American associations are an essential part of the concept.
• Canvas shoes with flax or grass soles are commonly referred to in Spain as alpargatas. In tourist areas but is also the name Espadrilles known, probably due to the influence of the fashion industry or because tourists use this term in the search for this product.
• Espardenyes is used in Catalonia as an umbrella term for canvas shoes with straw soles.
• As Alpargatas also the traditional local footwear of the small farmers in Venezuela is called.

Trivia

• Sophia Loren wore espadrilles in numerous films of the 50s as well as Grace Kelly. Annette Bening walked therein by the landscape of the Fiji Islands in the film Love Affair.

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