for the love of alpargatas – the BEST riding and travelling shoes

In the spotlight

Don’t be disheartened if you can’t pronounce this peculiar Spanish word – al-par-gatas – all you need to know is they are THE best travelling and riding shoes you’ll need for your next riding safari or  holiday. Alpargatas are a jute-soled canvas footwear favored by Argentine’s for their comfort, durability and low cost, pretty much Argentina’s version of the Spanish espadrille. I discovered these canvas slip-ons when travelling in Argentina some seven years ago and I now have a mighty collection of the lightweight shoes and they never leave my feet when I’m knocking about the house, riding my polo ponies or pairing them with a pair of jeans, skirt or shorts. Not only are they super comfortable (when you find your perfect size), they come in every colour of the rainbow and groovy patterns.

Yes, you’re going to say they’re dangerous for riding in because they don’t have a heel and for the safety conscious they probably are. BUT I find them fantastic when teamed with a pair of chaps especially when you don’t want to wear knee-high boots in hot weather. The other benefit is if you’re crossing rivers the trusty alpargatas will dry in minutes with their canvas material.

When we were in Buenos Aires in December I discovered this new brand known as Paez which produce a truck-load of different designs with cool inner-linings. Check out the ones above, I couldn’t resist buying matching pairs for both Finn and I. As you can see she isn’t as big as fan as I preferring them off rather than on.

Can you tell that I love them? AND they’re cheap as chips. To clean them I throw them in the washing machine and good as new. So next time you’re planning a trip a pair of alpargatas are a essential for your bag. Would you wear a pair? Love to hear you thoughts.