The Castañer family have been making the classic espadrille shoe since Rafeal Castañer was born in 1776. Since then, the family has redesigned and reinvented the shoe multiple times. During the Spanish Civil War, the Republican Government nationalised the company because espadrilles were used for soldiers fighting at the front in ‘seven-ribbon espadrilles’. However, it wasn’t until the early 1970s when Yves Saint Laurent commissioned a jute-soled wedge for his collection, that the company gained prominence. Following that, Castañer was able to open its first boutique, located in the heart of Barcelona.