Let me be honest with you. I used to overpack shoes like it was a competitive sport. Three pairs for a long weekend? Easy. Then I spent a week on the Costa Brava with a single carry-on and one rule – one shoe, and it had better work everywhere. I was skeptical it could be done. Could a single pair really go from a pebbly cove to a candlelit dinner without making me look like I gave up halfway through? Turns out, yes. And the shoe that did it was a pair of espadrilles.
So this is the guide I wish I’d had before that trip. If you’re booking flights for a Mediterranean summer and dreading the packing maths, start by browsing the Toni Pons espadrille range here and see what I mean. The whole point is doing more with less. One shoe. Many days.
Why one shoe actually works on the Costa Brava
Here’s the thing about that stretch of coast. The days blur into each other in the best way. You start barefoot on warm sand, you wander up a cobbled lane for lunch, you nap, and then somehow it’s golden hour and you’re walking to dinner in a fishing village that looks like a postcard. A single day asks your feet to do four or five completely different jobs. Most shoes can only do one of them well.
Espadrilles are different because they were born from exactly this kind of life. The jute sole is light and breathable, the cotton or linen upper moves with your foot, and they look intentional rather than sporty. That matters more than I expected. Walk into a seafront restaurant in trainers and you feel slightly off. In a clean pair of espadrilles? You look like you meant it. Want to see the styles that pull this off? Take a look at the Toni Pons women’s line here.
And the brand behind them is worth knowing. Toni Pons has been hand-sewing espadrilles in Spain since 1946 – that’s over 80 years of family heritage, with artisans stitching each pair in Spanish workshops rather than churning them out offshore. They’re the largest espadrille maker in Spain, sold in more than 90 countries. So this isn’t a fast-fashion knockoff of a Mediterranean classic. It’s the real thing, made where the thing actually comes from.
The capsule-packing logic, in plain terms
Capsule packing sounds fussy until you’ve done it once. Then you never go back. The idea is simple. Pick a small palette, pick pieces that mix freely, and let one or two heroes do the heavy lifting. Your shoes are usually the bulkiest, heaviest thing in the bag. So if you can collapse three pairs into one, you’ve basically won the weight battle before you start.
Why do espadrilles win the hero slot? They weigh almost nothing. They squash into a corner of your case without complaint. And they pair with practically everything a summer suitcase holds – linen trousers, a slip dress, denim shorts, a swimsuit and sarong. I’d hedge a little here. If your trip involves a serious mountain hike, you’ll want proper boots too. But for a beach-and-village summer? One pair really does cover it. Ready to build your capsule around a pair? Browse the full Toni Pons collection here.
One shoe, packed flat, that carries you from sand to seafront dinner without a single change.
The Costa Brava collection – picks for beach-to-dinner days
There’s a whole themed line named after the coastline itself, and it’s the obvious place to start. The colours feel pulled from the place – sea blues, sun-bleached neutrals, the soft pink of a peony at dusk. Want a single pair you can wear all week? A neutral flat is the safe genius move. It disappears under everything and reappears at dinner looking deliberate. See the Costa Brava espadrilles here and you’ll get the palette instantly.
If you want a touch more presence for evenings, a wedge espadrille lifts a sundress without wrecking your feet on cobbles. I was nervous about wedges and uneven streets – that’s a real risk. But a low, stable jute wedge is a different animal from a stiletto. It gives you height and grip at once. For something playful, the Tamariu style in soft peony brings colour without shouting. Curious how these look on? Compare the flats and wedges over here.
Quick made-in-Spain notes worth knowing
- Hand-sewn by artisans in Spanish workshops since 1946.
- Built from natural jute, cotton and linen – with eco lines (the BIOS ecological range and recycled materials).
- Comfort tech across the range, including Comfort+ and Light & Flex.
- Winner of the Premio Academia de la Moda Espanola 2025 for design.
How to actually wear one pair, all week
Morning at the cove? Espadrilles over a swimsuit with a linen shirt thrown on top. Lunch in the village? Same shoes, swap the shirt for a sundress and add sunglasses. You haven’t touched your feet once. That’s the magic, and it’s why I stopped panicking about footwear entirely. Does one pair get a little tired by day five? A bit. We’ll come back to that.
For dinner, the trick is contrast. Keep the shoe casual and let the outfit do the dressing up. A slip dress, a bit of gold jewellery, hair down – the espadrille reads as effortless rather than underdressed. It’s the same logic that makes a great pair of jeans work everywhere. The shoe is the constant. Everything else rotates around it. If you want to lock in your hero pair before you fly, pick your colour from the Toni Pons range here.
The honest verdict
Would I pack one shoe again? Without hesitation. A good espadrille is the rare thing that’s genuinely versatile and genuinely lovely, made properly in the place it comes from, light enough that your suitcase forgets it’s there. For a Mediterranean summer of sand, cobbles and long dinners, it solves the packing puzzle in a single move.
Now the one flaw, because I promised honesty. A natural jute sole isn’t built for repeated soakings – properly wet jute and you’ll shorten its life, so these are coastal-stroll shoes, not wade-into-the-sea shoes. Keep them dry-ish and they’ll reward you. That’s the only real catch, and it’s an easy one to live with. So pack light, pack clever, and let one beautiful pair do the work.