espadrille

American  

[es-puh-dril] / ˈɛs pəˌdrɪl /

noun

espadrilles plural

1. a flat shoe with a cloth upper, a rope sole, and sometimes lacing that ties around the ankle.

2. a casual shoe resembling this, often with a wedge heel instead of a flat sole.

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espadrille British  

/ ˌɛspəˈdrɪl /

noun

1. a light shoe with a canvas upper, esp with a braided cord sole

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• espadrilles
  plural

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 Espadrilles were originally made in the Pyrenees, and there are shops in Spain that have been producing the sandals for over a hundred years.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.

Related Words

• moccasin
• shoe
• slipper