Every icon has one, so where does the story of Chanel's espadrilles begin? Despite the classic nonbranded espadrilles themselves dating back to the 14th century (granted, before Coco Chanel’s time), and becoming fashionable in the 1940s thanks to Lauren Bacall’s Key Largo wardrobe, the Chanel espadrilles didn’t debut until 2013, which was long after Yves Saint Laurent had made wedge espadrilles popular in the 1970s.
An evolution of the classic Chanel ballet flats, Karl Lagerfeld’s S/S 13 espadrilles teamed a pastel canvas upper with the interlocking Cs logo and an almost-gold toe cap. But as with all things Lagerfeld, things moved fast from there. The introduction of the now famous leather version from the Parisian fashion house changed the game for summer footwear forever—buttery soft, chic, durable, and great for the city as well as the beach? Oh Karl, you really do spoil us!
The current resort and spring collections feature a hot medley of quilted lambskin, patent leather toe caps, and sequins, plus impressively delicate cutouts channeling a broderie Anglaise effect. So if you’re yet to join the gang, now’s the time to strike.