Espadrilles have (quietly?) walked through six thousand years of history. What was originally viewed as a peasant shoe became a staple in the late Golden Age of Hollywood’s dressing, luxury resort wear, and many fashion houses’ resort collections. In this episode, we trace the espadrille from the Cueva de los Murciélagos and a 1322 medieval Catalan municipal ordinance through regional Spanish craft traditions, the 19th century's shift from esparto to jute manufacturing, and a 20th-century identity shaped by JFK, Grace Kelly, Brigitte Bardot, Picasso, and Dalí. We dig into how Yves Saint Laurent and the Castañer family invented the luxury wedge espadrille, why the shoe earned its reputation as "the democratic shoe," and how brands like Naguisa, Morjas, and Goldberger are reinventing it today alongside Chanel, Hermès, and Valentino's own house takes. As always, we close out by talking about how we each wear (and feel about) espadrilles, and what this unisex shoe says about ease, class, and taste.

Timestamps: 00:00:00 Intro 00:00:14 Gals Catch Up 00:03:49 Espadrille Definition & Early Origin 00:07:57 Origin and Etymology: The Espadrille Precursor 00:13:32 Early Modern Period Regional Styles And Specialties 00:17:15 19th-Century Esparto to Jute Manufacturing Revolution 00:23:44 20th Century Artists and Late Golden Age of Hollywood 00:30:57 Espadrilles In The Modern Day: Democracy, Reinvention, Luxury, Effortless Yet Refined 00:31:47 YSL Meets Castañer 00:37:25 The Democratic Shoe

00:39:32 Trend Cycle Comeback 00:42:38 Reinvention in the Modern Day 00:44:39  Espadrilles Gaining Couture House Codes 00:49:03 Epitome of Effortlessly Cool 00:52:14 Personal Style & Feelings 00:55:47 See You Soon! Find our full visual guide, references, and show notes → linked here.

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