Jute vs Esparto: What Is an Espadrille Sole Made Of?

Esparto is a wiry Mediterranean grass; jute is a plant fibre that comes mainly from Asia. Esparto gave the espadrille its name and its first soles. Jute makes most espadrille soles today because, as English Wikipedia puts it, it is cheaper and easier to source. A third fibre, hemp, was the classic material of the Catalan espardenya.

The three fibres compared

The esparto and jute columns follow the comparison published by the shoe brand Wonders. The Catalan encyclopedia gives hemp first in its definition of the espardenya ("braided hemp, or esparto, or jute") and links it to the areas where hemp was grown.

How the sole changed over time

• Early soles: braided esparto rope, which French Wikipedia also calls sparterie, or hemp.
• 19th century in Mauléon: the Basque encyclopedia Auñamendi says the town first used esparto rope from Spain, then switched to jute from India and other Asian countries.
• Today: English Wikipedia says Spain, France and Italy import jute soles from Bangladesh to finish their shoes. French Wikipedia says most espadrilles sold in France are imported from India and Bangladesh.

Spanish Wikipedia lists even more fibres used across the Spanish-speaking world: fique, caranday, cotton and wicker, alongside esparto, hemp and jute. In Ibiza, the island's tourist board describes traditional soles made with pita, agave fibre.

What it means when you wear them

All three fibres are natural and absorbent. The Barcelona maker Naguisa warns that jute, being porous, absorbs water easily and can lose its shape, and that damp fibres can rot and smell. Most modern jute soles have a layer of vulcanised rubber underneath, according to English Wikipedia, so the rope itself rarely touches the ground; the braided sides stay exposed.

Common mistakes

A frequent mistake is to treat the material name on a label as a guarantee of quality. Jute is cheaper and easier to source, so a jute sole is not a sign of a poor shoe, and esparto is not automatically the better choice either. Another mistake is to judge a fibre from one sole: the same name can cover braids of different thickness and tightness, so two jute soles can feel quite unlike. Some buyers also expect a jute sole to cope with rain as well as rubber does, which is not the case. Finally, do not compare the fibres by a photograph alone, since dyes and finishes can make jute and esparto look alike.

Cas particuliers

If you want the traditional stiffness of esparto, look for a rustic, irregular braid, and accept that it will feel firmer than jute. If you want a lighter shoe for a long day, jute is the more flexible choice, though it needs careful drying. The same care applies to a hemp espardenya, whose braid should be dried just as carefully. For any of them, dry the shoe in air and in the shade, away from direct heat, and let the braid keep its shape. A damp sole kept in a bag is the common cause of a bad smell.

How to tell them apart

Wonders' description gives practical clues: an esparto sole looks more irregular and feels stiffer and heavier in the hand; a jute sole has a finer, more even braid and bends more easily. When in doubt, the product description should name the fibre.

For what the rest of the shoe is made of, see what is an espadrille; for where the soles are made today, see where are espadrilles made.