espadrille
Americannoun
-
a flat shoe with a cloth upper, a rope sole, and sometimes lacing that ties around the ankle.
-
a casual shoe resembling this, often with a wedge heel instead of a flat sole.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of espadrille
1860–65; < French < Provençal espardilho, diminutive of espart esparto
Explanation
An espadrille is a casual summer shoe that's made of cotton canvas with a rope sole. Espadrilles are easy to slip on and kick off. Espadrilles are a lightweight shoe with a flat sole made of ropy fibers. The upper part of an espadrille is sturdy canvas, often brightly colored or striped. Espadrilles were originally made in the Pyrenees, and there are shops in Spain that have been producing the sandals for over a hundred years. The names comes from the Catalan espardenya, "a type of shoes made with espart," a wiry grass used to make rope.
Vocabulary lists containing espadrille
Persepolis
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Finishing Touches: Words for Accessories
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Americanah
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The shoe of the season is an unfussy espadrille, substituting the sneaker of recent seasons, and which Armani himself wore, showing them off with an ironic laugh.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 20, 2022
There's also an Alpargatas style with a French flag detail, and variations on the espadrille and sandal with Clare V.'s tassel and leopard print.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 2, 2018
For more than six months, there lay, in the restaurant’s cramped subterranean office, a single wedge espadrille on its side.
From The Guardian ● Apr. 17, 2016
“I thought that would give the whole collection a different twist, just to have the espadrille, which is THE Spanish shoe,” Copping said.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 15, 2015
It was cold out, but she wore platform espadrille sandals: house slippers, she explained, so that she can be as tall as Miral.
From New York Times ● Mar. 23, 2011
Prints on silken shirts, jackets and trousers recalled weaving, echoed in the espadrilles and fishermen sandals.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 19, 2023
We had a beach M3gan with a peasant blouse, beach hat and espadrilles.
From New York Times ● Jan. 17, 2023
The frilly dresses, pastel ties and even the first lady’s sky-high espadrilles boldly Eastered on.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 18, 2022
Enjoy shopping for new spring espadrilles, but OMG DON’T DIE… As we have often talked about before, the process of re-opening will be more gradual and tentative than the closure was.
From Fox News ● May 1, 2020
She returned to the shops, where she bought a pair of boyfriend jeans, three cotton tank tops, a long flowing cardigan, espadrilles, and a white sundress.
From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
