espadrilles

Espadrilles have been in fashion for approximately 4000 years. 

No, seriously. Check out the Archaeological Museum of Granada is you don't believe me. 

So it's not at all surprising that you can walk into any high street store and still find pairs on sale. 

Yet while these high street pairs still look the same as the espadrilles that have been worn in Spain and France for many centuries, they are hardly traditional. 

The skills used in the customary way of making them, which have been handed down from generation to generation, have been shunned to give way to cheap, mechanical production methods miles away. 

But this craftsmanship has not lost forever.

Deep amongst the rambling foothills of the Sierra de Alcarama, in the Spanish province of La Rioja, lies the village of Cervera del Rio Alhama: The last village where the espadrille is still handmade. 

The shoes are crafted using traditional techniques, and even lovingly handstitched by the village's own abuelas.
The result? Totally comfy, totally environmentally friendly, and totally ethical. 

You can try them out for yourself here, and learn a little bit more about how they are made here