The Surprising History (and Stylish Present Day) of Castañer Espadrilles

Summer heat! Can you feel it? There is something very comforting about this heat. I don’t know about you, but my whole attitude changes. Long, hazy, hot days mixed with dresses, sunscreen, less makeup, less hair-doing...and espadrille wedges. I would throw in a glass of wine with that vignette but for this mama-to-be it's an ice-cold lemonade on the rocks.But let’s talk shoes because we just got a new shipment of the most adorable and affordable espadrille wedges and it’s got me really excited! Having never heard about the Castañer brand before, I wanted to do some research to write this post, and, wow, the line's backstory is pretty interesting, if I do say so myself.An original Spanish espadrille maker, Castañer dates as far back as 1776. During the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), Spain's government nationalized the company and soldiers were sent to fight at the front wearing "seven-ribbon espadrilles."Fast forward to the 1960s and the next generation of Castañers take over. Lorenzo Castañer and his wife Isabel refocused the business with the same, simple espadrille design but added color (let’s think 1960s). Then, at a trade fair in Paris, Lorenzo and Isabel were approached by a man named Yves Saint Laurent, yes, that Yves Saint Laurent, who had, coincidentally, been looking for months for someone to make him a wedge espadrille.Well, he found his perfect match. 

“If Yves Saint Laurent wanted a wedge espadrille, a wedge espadrille he would have!"

-- Lorenzo Castañer

 As they say, the rest is history, and I can safely attest they know what they are doing when it comes to making espadrille wedges! I recently purchased the Bluma style in Champagne and it has been my go-to since. Here are the styles we got in -- and they’re going fast -- so if you need a new espadrille in your life make your way over to The Shoe Hive and try some on.Cheers to a new summer shoes!