Flat mates: the new-wave espadrilles are good to your feet

Footwear fashions ebb and flow, but espadrilles are an enduring style staple, with everyone from Valentino to Saint Laurent doing their own beach versions of the Catalan classic. But with designer variations retailing into the hundreds of pounds, there’s room for more affordable everyday versions too – which is where our favourite Brazilian beach brand comes in. Havaianas’ S/S16 espadrille collection comes in a rainbow of colours, but also in two completely new styles: the striped Origine Navy and the palm-printed Folhagem. Though they retain the look of classic espadrilles, Havaianas have replaced the traditional esparto soles with the same trademark rubber that defines their legendary flip-flops, handy for those Brazilian downpours when rope soles would normally dissolve.

As originally featured in the July issue of Wallpaper* (W*208)