If you’re a size 11.5 foot (or anything around there) good luck finding a decent pair of espadrilles for the summer. In my mind, espadrilles are meant to be super simple. Perfect to lazily slip on for a trip to the supermarket, or for a family BBQ. They should be quite inexpensive, meant to be beaten to hell and not much cared about, and the replaced when need be. There should be no fuss. They should also look like espadrilles and not like some designer’s take on espadrilles. Now, if you have all of these requirements, good luck finding a pair, it seems!
I tell you, I searched high and low, and could not find anything that matched this criteria. Why? Because the major brand — Soludos — has serious fit issues. Nothing fits true to size, and if you’re between sizes like me, you’re going to have an almost impossible time finding a pair that fits. There are plenty of other companies we found — and tested! — but they, too, were inconsistently sized, and impossible to get quite right. We were even willing to pay close to $75 for a pair from Viscata but still, no dice. The sizing was way off, and, for my 11.5 foot, I literally could not get a shoe from them big enough to even get my foot in, despite them claiming to go up to a size 13.
So, what’s a guy to do? Well, on a whim I checked out H&M’s shoe section, and lo and behold, there was my prize! The H&M espadrilles are simple, sleek, clean, and straightforward. And, best of all at only $18, dirt cheap. Exactly what I wanted in my espadrilles! And the best part? They were actually comfortable and fit true to size! Plus, the whole canvas material has a hint of stretch making the break-in period next to nothing, and allowing for movement of the foot within the shoe itself.
They come in a whole bunch of great colors, and there is actually a nice, almost birdseye texture to them. Plus, there is more attention to detail than you might think. The interior sole has a great tropical printed pattern, and the heel of the shoe has a pull tab to make them easier to get on and off.
The negatives? Well, they’re the typical negatives when it comes to H&M. These shoes are utter crap. After just two weeks of wear I noticed some fraying on the side of one of the shoes. And I hardly expect these to last much longer than a season or two. But, that is also exactly the point of a pair of shoes like this. I want them to be super cheap, and to not have to care at all about them. I’ll wear them anywhere, to do anything, and not care what happens to them. Rain? Who cares. Sand at the beach? Sure! And if they get beaten up and look worn, so what! As long as they continue to be wearable, you wear them. Then, when they finally fall apart and die, you get another pair for the new season. And, I have to say, I have been wearing these things around town, and very often even using them as flip flops by just crushing the heel of the shoe under my foot and treating them like slippers, and — aside from that fraying — they seem to be holding up solidly enough. There’s not support whatsoever, and so would not wear them for long distances, but, overall, for $18, you could do a lot worse.
In summary, then, if you’re looking for a decent summer espadrille, look no further than H&M.