Alpargata vs Espadrille: Same Shoe, Two Word Histories

There is no difference in the shoe. Alpargata is simply the Spanish and Portuguese name for what French and English call an espadrille: a fabric upper on a sole of plant fibre. English Wiktionary even lists alpargata as an English noun, a synonym of espadrille. The difference lies in the words themselves, which come from two different places.

Side by side

Two words, two ideas

Espadrille and its Catalan and Basque relatives name the shoe after what the sole is made of: esparto. Alpargata names it after what it replaced or resembled: the abarka, a one-piece leather sandal of the Pyrenees described on our abarka page. The English Wikipedia article on the abarka calls alpargata a Mozarabic derivative of it, through a form al-párğa, plural al-parğāt. Spanish Wikipedia and Wiktionary give the same route through Andalusian Arabic, both with a cautious "probably" for the Basque origin.

Spanish has kept a second word built on esparto: esparteña, listed by Wiktionary and by Spanish Wikipedia as a synonym. It is far less common than alpargata.

Where you will see which word

• In Spain, alpargata is the everyday word, and Spanish Wikipedia defines it, after the Royal Spanish Academy, as footwear of spun fibres with a plant sole, fastened by fit or ribbons.
• In Catalonia, people say espardenya; see espardenya.
• In Argentina and Uruguay, alpargata is part of rural and political history, told on alpargatas in Argentina.
• In Portugal and Brazil, dictionaries such as Priberam record alpercata alongside alpargata, defined as a shoe whose rope or rubber sole is held on the foot by strips of leather or cloth.
• In English, espadrille is the usual word, but Wiktionary records alpargata as an English noun too, with the plural alpargatas. For Spanish, Wiktionary also lists the derived word alpargatero.

Common mistakes

Many readers assume that alpargata is a Spanish brand or a different style of shoe. It is neither: the word names a kind of shoe, and a shop can use it for any model with a plant-fibre sole or a rubber one. The reverse mistake is to think the French word has a Spanish origin because the shoe is sold in Spain. Espadrille comes through Occitan, not directly from Spanish. Finally, do not look for a strict rule that sorts shoes under one name or the other. Dictionaries record synonyms, and a product label often uses both words for the same object, so the description of the sole is the better guide.

Points to check

If you are buying, read the description before the name. Check the sole first: is it braided rope of jute or esparto, or is it rubber? Then look at the upper, since canvas and cotton are common, and some makers use synthetic thread. Compare the closure too, whether it is a snug fit, a strap or ribbons round the ankle. Finally, ask whether the sole was braided by hand or made on a line. These four points tell you more than the word on the label, and a short list like this also helps when a shop uses different words for the same shoe in different countries.

Is a rubber-soled alpargata still an alpargata?

Spanish Wikipedia notes that industrial production may use nylon threads and soles of rubber or other plant fibres. In Uruguay, rubber-soled alpargatas are sold under the name rancheritas. So the name has stretched with the shoe. If what matters to you is a real rope sole, look at the description rather than the name, and check our page on jute vs esparto.

For the history of the word espadrille, see where does the word espadrille come from.