Flat espadrilles are one of those forms of footwear that directly evoke one of those warm summer days. One of those days to enjoy the countryside, a lovely meal had with those closest to you. A day to give in to the simplicity of little things that can be, at one and the same time, so important and transcendental.

This is why today, we at Ball Pagès wish to compose a little ode to flat espadrilles, to their values as footwear and their importance in the world of fashion.

The origin of flat espadrilles in modern fashion

The world of fashion drinks from many influences and sources in the world. And this is why we look for the origins of flat espadrilles specifically in our society.

Specifically this footwear has always been traditionally associated with rural life. And it is these humble origins that this footwear comes.

Flat espadrilles are created as living footwear, originally with a leather sole, now with jute and cord, to be worn on hot summer days.

Their freshness, flexibility and firmness caused their original popularity and expansion amongst the workers in the fields. These workers used them as basic workwear but they also served for traditional popular feast days as was the case with the Ibizan dance, the ball pagès (trans. Peasant dance), danced in the heart of the Mediterranean.

Dalí, Grace Kelly and Yves Sant Laurent

From there, it was onward and upward. Great artists like Picasso and Dalí fixed on this flat espadrille and their incorporation into their habitual footwear. They also started to appear on the feet of Hollywood celebrities like Grace Kelly and Marilyn Monroe.

Finally, in the 70s, espadrilles conquered the centre of fashion, Paris. Yves Sant Laurent incorporated them into his Paris catwalks, making them the latest in fashion.

And right up until the current moment, fashion espadrilles have become a must for our feet.

Flat espadrilles for the summer; Returning to basics is now in fashion.

Flat espadrilles have been adopted by French ladies, always icons of fashion, as an essential. And from them they have been made into a very stylish fashion basic.

And now flat espadrilles are indispensable for those soft styles which mirror nature, the simplicity but, at the same time, are smart, well groomed combinations.

And even though in the world of fashion you can opt for looks that are more risqué, where espadrilles are concerned, those designs that bet on a basic value are those that triumph.

Natural, simple flat espadrilles, which bet on savoir faire, return to their origins.

Models such as the flat Home Color espadrille or the Doble Basic espadrille from Ball Pagès are the perfect footwear to combine with jeans and a T-shirt. They also go really well with a dress or a jump suit.

The basic, timeless makes these espadrilles easy to mix and match with all those basic looks, which magazines like Vogue have returned to headline their covers with.

Flat espadrilles have now become an immortal trend, indispensable footwear in your wardrobe.