The Espadrille in Other Languages: Names Around the World
The names, regions and cousins of the espadrille, from the Basque Country to the River Plate.
The same rope-soled canvas shoe goes by at least five old names in the lands where it was born: espardenya in Catalan, alpargata in Spanish and Portuguese, espartin in Basque, espardilha in Occitan and espadrille in French, the form English borrowed. Most of these names point back to one plant, esparto grass, whose fibre was braided into the first soles. The Spanish alpargata is the exception: it has a different history, which we trace on its own page.
The name, language by language
The table below brings together the names given by Wiktionary in English and French, and the titles used for the espadrille article in other editions of Wikipedia (listed on the French edition). Where two sources disagree, both forms are shown.
| Language | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Catalan | espardenya (plural espardenyes) | earliest written form, attested in 1322 |
| Occitan | espardilha, espardelha, espartenha | the direct source of the French word |
| French | espadrille | from Occitan, by swapping two sounds |
| English | espadrille | borrowed from French |
| Spanish | alpargata, esparteña | alpargata came through Andalusian Arabic |
| Portuguese | alpargata, alpercata | Portuguese dictionaries list several spellings |
| Basque | espartin; espartina in Wikipedia's etymology note | plural espartinak |
| Aragonese | apargata | Wikipedia article title |
| German | Espadrille | |
| Dutch | espadrille, spadrille | |
| Italian | espadrillas | Wikipedia article title |
| Swedish | espadrill | |
| Polish | espadryle | |
| Russian | эспадрильи | |
| Japanese | エスパドリーユ | Wikipedia article title |
| Korean | 에스파드리유 | Wikipedia article title |
Two words of warning. The Chinese article is titled 布鞋 (bù xié), which simply means "cloth shoe" and covers far more than espadrilles. And in French-speaking Canada, according to the French Wikipedia article, espadrille means a sports shoe, not a rope-soled one.
Names you meet in Latin America
The Spanish Wikipedia article on the alpargata adds local names. In Uruguay, rubber-soled versions are sold as rancheritas. In Colombia's Orinoco basin, the word is cotizas, and there they are also made of animal hide. In Argentina and Uruguay, the alpargata replaced the leather bota de potro among rural workers, a story told on our page about alpargatas in Argentina.
One shoe, several homelands
French Wikipedia describes the espadrille as a Pyrenean shoe worn on both sides of the mountains, from Catalonia through Occitania to the Basque Country, where it pushed aside the older leather sandal, the abarka. English Wikipedia adds that it has been the usual footwear of peasants since at least the 14th century. Who invented it is a question nobody can settle; what can be compared are the traditions, which we do on Basque vs Catalan espadrilles.
Explore this site
- What is an espadrille?: the parts of the shoe and what makes it an espadrille.
- Where does the word espadrille come from?: from Greek spartos to Old Provençal and Occitan.
- How to pronounce espadrille in English, French and Catalan.
- Alpargata vs espadrille: same shoe, different word history.
- Espardenya: the Catalan espadrille and its lace styles.
- The Basque word for espadrille: espartin and the town of Mauléon.
- Abarka: the leather cousin of the espadrille.
- Alpargatas in Argentina: a factory, a painter and a political slogan.
- Jute vs esparto: what the sole is really made of.
- Where are espadrilles made? today and in the past.
- Who invented the wedge espadrille?
The network in other languages
This international edition is in English. Each language edition is written for readers who search in that language:
- English, practical guide: Basque Espadrilles · Guide
- Español: alpargatas vascas
- Deutsch: Espadrilles aus dem Baskenland
- Italiano: espadrillas basche
- Nederlands: Baskische espadrilles
- Português (Brasil): espadrilles e alpargatas
- Català: espardenyes basques
All pages
Guides
- Alpargatas in Argentina: Gauchos, a Factory and a Slogan
How the alpargata became Argentina's rural shoe: Basque emigrants, the 1885 Alpargatas company, Molina Campos calendars and the 1940s Perón slogans.
- Espardenya: The Catalan Espadrille and Its Lace Styles
Espardenya is Catalan for espadrille. Discover the Valls, Valencian and Empordà styles, the sardana ribbons, Ibiza's version and who still makes them.
- Where Are Espadrilles Made? Bangladesh, Spain, France
Most jute soles come from Bangladesh, but espadrilles are still finished or handmade in Spain, the French Basque Country and Catalonia. A map in words.
Questions
- How to Pronounce Espadrille in English, French and Catalan
In English, espadrille sounds like eh-spuh-drill. The French say it with a final y sound, and Catalan has its own word. A simple guide with IPA.
- Where Does the Word Espadrille Come From?
From Greek spartos to Occitan espardilha and French espadrille: the word's journey, its first dates, and why the Spanish alpargata is a different story.
- Who Invented the Wedge Espadrille? The 1970 Story
The fashion wedge espadrille came from Yves Saint Laurent and the Spanish maker Castañer around 1970. The story, and how a wedge is built.
Comparisons
- Alpargata vs Espadrille: Same Shoe, Two Word Histories
Alpargata is the Spanish and Portuguese word for espadrille. The shoe is the same; the word took a different road, through Arabic, from a Basque sandal.
- Basque vs Catalan Espadrilles: How the Traditions Differ
Catalonia has the oldest written record and laced styles; the Basque Country built an export industry in Mauléon. A side-by-side look at both traditions.
- Jute vs Esparto: What Is an Espadrille Sole Made Of?
Esparto gave the espadrille its name, jute now makes most of its soles, and hemp was the Catalan classic. How the three fibres compare, with a table.
Fact sheets
- Abarka: the Basque Leather Sandal Behind the Espadrille
The abarka is a one-piece leather sandal of the Pyrenees. How it differs from the espadrille and why the word alpargata comes from it.
Definitions
- Espartin: the Basque Word for Espadrille
In Basque the espadrille is an espartin, plural espartinak. What the word tells us, and how Mauléon in Soule became the Basque espadrille town.
- What Is an Espadrille? Parts, Materials and Main Types
An espadrille is a canvas shoe on a braided rope sole. Here are its parts, what the sole is made of today, and how laced and slip-on styles differ.