Color, in footwear, does more than it seems. It unites or divides a look. It balances or unbalances a silhouette. It decides whether an outfit looks polished or still halfway there.
Espadrilles are no exception. Their shade defines which garment they pair with, at what time of day they work best, what kind of summer they evoke. And although the temptation is always to play it safe, knowing the options—and understanding what each one does—is what allows you to build a wardrobe that truly works.
This is a guide to choosing color with criteria. So that your espadrilles are not just comfortable and pretty, but exactly what your outfit needs.
Beige and ecru: the base that never fails
If there is one color that defines the season, it is beige in all its variants. Ecru, sand, linen, champagne. Soft, luminous tones that dialogue with the skin and the summer light.
Why they work. Beige and ecru are the most versatile colors available in espadrilles. They combine with practically everything: whites, blues, greens, earth tones, prints. They do not compete with the rest of the look—they accompany it.
What clothes they pair best with. With linen or cotton dresses in light tones. With white or ecru trousers. With long skirts in natural colors. With everything that has a luminous, summery, Mediterranean air.
When to choose them. When you want an espadrille that works with everything. When you are building a solid wardrobe. When the look already has color or a print and you need footwear that brings calm.
In the Macarena collection, models like Saura Beige, Yune Beige, Valeria Ecru or Alba 50 Ecru represent this philosophy: natural tones that you wear without thinking and always feel right.
Taupe: the contemporary neutral
Taupe—that warm gray with brown undertones—is one of the most interesting colors of the season. More sophisticated than pure beige, more versatile than brown, with an urban edge that sets it apart.
Why it works. Taupe is the perfect neutral for those who want something more than beige without jumping to brown. It has depth, it has nuance, it has character. And it looks just as good with light tones as it does with dark ones.
What clothes they pair best with. With dresses in earth tones, muted greens, grayish blues. With jeans—it works especially well with light denim. With garments in textured fabrics like linen, fine knit, or viscose.
When to choose it. When you want a more urban alternative to beige. When the look has complex colors and you need footwear that accompanies them without detracting. When you are looking for a neutral that stands out a little more.
Models like Jimena Taupe, Harper Taupe, Sara Taupe or Alba6 Taupe are perfect examples: espadrilles worn with the conviction of someone who knows they have chosen well.
Black: the elegant contrast
Black in espadrilles has a particular role. It is not the quintessential summer color—but precisely for that reason, when used well, it elevates any look.
Why it works. Black provides contrast, definition, presence. It is the color for days when you want footwear that is noticeable, that structures the look, that adds a more dressed-up touch.
What clothes they pair best with. With white dresses—the contrast is always elegant. With outfits in neutral tones where black acts as an anchor point. With printed garments where black pulls the outfit together. With white linen, especially.
When to choose it. When the look calls for something more defined. For a summer dinner, for an evening wedding, for the days when you want the outfit to have more visual structure.
Jimena Black is the go-to black espadrille: classic, versatile, timeless.
Brown: the seventies vibe that returns every summer
Brown in espadrilles has something special. A visual warmth that beige cannot reach and that black will never have. It is the color of the most bohemian, most natural, most Mediterranean summer in its interior version.
Why it works. Brown gives the look a warm, earthy, lively tone. It combines especially well with natural fabrics and with the golden light of sunset. It has a seventies vibe that returns cyclically because, quite simply, it feels right.
What clothes they pair best with. With dresses in ecru, mustard, terracotta tones. With linen trousers in sand or khaki. With crochet or knit skirts. With garments in artisanal fabrics where texture is the protagonist.
When to choose it. When you want a look with warmth. For getaways to the countryside, for summer afternoons, for those days when the plan is relaxed but the style does not rest.
Models like Yune Brown or Patri Brown offer that effortless warmth.
Color: when the espadrille is the star piece
Sometimes, what the wardrobe needs is not another neutral. It is that pair of espadrilles that brings light, contrast, and joy.
Why it works. A colored espadrille breaks the predictability of the look. It turns a neutral outfit into something memorable. It is the difference between dressing well and dressing with personality.
What clothes they pair best with. The best approach is to let the footwear be the protagonist and build the rest of the look on a base of neutral tones. White dress with colored espadrilles, ecru outfit with vibrant footwear, neutral skirt with a chromatic touch below.
When to choose it. When you already have the basics covered. When you want to incorporate pieces that add character. When summer calls for a little more light.
In the Macarena collection, options like Lola Blue or the Harper Green are perfect examples of that play: colors with criteria, tones that add without shouting.
How to build an espadrille wardrobe that works
You don't need twenty pairs. You need the right ones.
A proposal to start with criteria:
A main neutral pair — beige or ecru. The base of everything. The one you wear 70% of the time.
A pair in taupe or black — for more urban, more dressed-up, more defined looks. The contrast the wardrobe needs.
A warm pair — brown, terracotta, mustard. For bohemian days, getaways, moments when summer calls for warmth.
A pair with personality — a color, a print, a special texture. The espadrille that brings character when the rest of the look is discreet.
Four pairs, well chosen, cover practically any summer occasion. And all of them, if they are handcrafted and well-made, will last more than one season.
Color is not chosen: it is felt
In the end, no advice replaces your own intuition. There are colors that feel good in general—and there are colors that are uniquely yours. Those that cheer you up when you see them in the closet. Those that make you choose them without thinking for the third time in a week.
Those are the ones that matter. The guide serves to orient, not to decide.
What makes a pair of espadrilles truly work is not just their color. It is that the color, added to the material, the silhouette, and the craftsmanship, makes you feel how you want to feel that day.
And that, at its heart, is what defines good footwear.
Explore all the colors and models in the Macarena collection—handcrafted espadrilles made in Spain, designed so that every pair is yours.
