Esperdenyes are a kind of simple sandal made entirely by hand that have been worn by Ibizan people for many years. Nowadays, although they are still worn by the dancers of the traditional ball pagès (peasant dance), they are also part of the most modern outfits. Would you like to know more? We’ll tell you all the details below!
What are esperdenyes?
Esperdenyes (espadrilles), along with sabatilles (slippers), are the traditional footwear of Ibiza. They are handmade sandals, made by many of the island’s artisans. They consist of a braided esparto sole and a spun cover made of natural fibres such as cotton, canvas or pita, which are fastened to the foot with different straps.
The esperdenyes are an essential element of the traditional Ibizan costume, whether it is the white costume, the coloured one or the one known as the gonella, which is the oldest and most sober, and is made up of a black woollen doublet and a long, embroidered apron, a silk shawl and a straw hat.
The women in their costumes wear what are known as esperdenyes de morret or de capelleta, which, unlike the men’s esperdenyes, have the toe covered.
Handmade
Although these traditional sandals are simple in appearance, they are quite laborious to make, as they require a great deal of skill and a meticulous handcrafted process, which is what makes them unique.
The key is that they are made in a totally handmade way, of course respectful of the Ibizan tradition. First, it is necessary to extract the natural fibre from the pitera, a very resistant and easy to care for crass plant, from which the threads are extracted. The leaves are selected and hand-scratched to obtain very fine threads, which are used to create the cordellí, the cord with which the sandal will be woven. This represents a great effort and, to give you an idea, a pair of esperdenyes requires approximately 25 metres of cordellí.
Once the fibres have been washed, they are left to dry, avoiding direct sunlight. The process continues with bleaching and subsequent plaiting. As some artisans indicate, it takes five or six days of work to make each pair of esperdenyes.
Today’s use of esperdenyes: in fashion!
A few years ago, the use of the esperdenyes was limited, almost exclusively, to those who wore one of Ibiza’s traditional costumes.
Little by little, the esperdenyes have become more and more popular and their use as a summer sandal has spread, both on and off the island of Ibiza. In the past, you could only find them in traditional shoe shops and craft markets. Nowadays, however, you can find them in any shoe shop, as if they were just another shoe. In fact, more and more people are buying esperdenyes as if they were a typical Ibizan souvenir.
The only thing you should bear in mind is that there are some firms that create their products inspired by the traditional esperdenyes, but they have nothing to do with the original ones, which were only used in Ibiza in the past.
Origin of the espardenyes
Although it is said that Archduke Ludwig Salvator of Austria, in the 19th century, already wore these sandals during his visits to the island of Ibiza, the truth is that the exact moment when they began to be worn is unknown. They began to be used by the island’s ancient peasants, as they found them to be comfortable and functional footwear for carrying out their tasks in the fields.
What is known for certain is that this type of footwear originated on the island of Ibiza, which is why they are now known as typical Ibizan sandals.
There are many different types of esperdenyes. Morret sandals with esparto grass soles, which women wore to go to mass or on special occasions, and the open-toed sandals, for working in the fields, are just some of them. As we said before, nowadays these sandals have been revalued and are now part of everyday Ibizan fashion. Do you want to be part of the trend?
