Havaianas Espadrilles Review: Fit, Washing and Alternatives

Havaianas espadrilles fit true to size, go straight into the washing machine and sit on the same rubber sole as the brand’s flip flops. Havaianas no longer lists espadrilles in its own US or European shops, so the pairs still in circulation come from third-party sellers rather than from Havaianas.

That matters if you are reading this to buy a pair, so it goes first. What follows is still a review of the shoe itself, because the model turns up constantly on resale and because the questions people ask about it, on sizing, washing and smell, have the same answers they always did.

The gap these fill is real. There is weather that is warm but not warm enough to walk around in flip-flops, and there are days when you want a little more fabric around your feet without putting on a proper shoe. Havaianas asked me to review their espadrilles, I said yes, and I have worn the same pair since.

Havaianas espadrilles review

The Havaianas espadrille is a canvas slip-on built on the brand’s flip-flop sole, sold as the Origine. It covers the foot completely, weighs almost nothing and packs flat, which is why it ended up in my bag rather than in my wardrobe. It is a warm-weather shoe with a closed upper, not a walking shoe and not a sandal.

Sizing and fit

Order your usual size. I took the size I normally wear and the fit was right from the first day, snug around the foot without pressing anywhere. I know people who go up a size so the espadrilles feel more like a regular shoe, and that works too, but it is not necessary: the canvas softens and becomes more flexible as you wear it rather than growing.

Two sizing details catch people out. Havaianas sizes are Brazilian, which is not the same as US or European sizing, so check the brand’s size chart instead of assuming your usual number. Havaianas also makes a wide fitting in the flip flop and no width option at all in the espadrille, so narrow and average feet are the ones this shoe suits.

I was worried the canvas would cut into the top of my foot, because it looks sturdier than it feels. It does not, and the reason is the thin rubber strip Havaianas runs along the top edge of the upper. That strip is the smartest thing about the shoe.

The sole, and the one problem with it

The sole is the same rubber sole that goes under Havaianas flip flops, which makes the espadrilles easy to wipe clean and comfortable enough to wear indoors. I use mine around the apartment when it is still too cold to go barefoot, and a wet cloth takes off whatever they picked up outside.

The same sole is the shoe’s weak point. A closed canvas upper sitting on rubber does not breathe, so on a hot day your feet will sweat in these, and sweat in a closed shoe eventually means smell. I have not had the problem myself, but the shoe is built in a way that invites it.

The fix is a thin no-show sock with a silicone heel grip, which stops the sock disappearing into the shoe while you walk. A cotton and spandex no-show sock wicks sweat, and an 8-pack costs less than one pair of espadrilles. Look for no-show socks with silicone heel grips, which are the type that stays put in a slip-on.

Washing and colour

The espadrilles go in the washing machine, which is rare in this category and the main practical reason to own a pair. Most classic espadrilles are built on a jute sole that falls apart when it gets soaked. The Havaianas rubber sole does not care.

The colour fades with washing and with sun. Mine have lost some depth over the years and I like them better for it. Wash them less and rinse the soles instead if you want them to stay the colour they arrived in.

Are Havaianas espadrilles still made?

Havaianas has dropped espadrilles from its own shops. Checked in September 2026, the espadrille category on the US Havaianas site returns a 404, a site search for “espadrille” returns only flip flops, sandals and wedges, and the European store’s footwear menu lists flip flops, sandals, slides, cosy and wedding styles with no espadrille category at all.

What is left is third-party stock: pairs held by Amazon sellers, department-store clearance and the resale market. Sizes are patchy and the colour you want may not exist any more. Anyone set on the Havaianas pair specifically can still search Havaianas espadrilles on Amazon, where the remaining stock surfaces and disappears again.

What to wear instead of Havaianas espadrilles

The closest thing Havaianas still sells is a sandal, not a closed shoe, so there is no like-for-like replacement inside the brand. Their current women’s range runs from the Top flip flop at $24 (about €22, £18) through the Slim at $34 (about €31, £25) to the Slim Organic at $38 (about €35, £28), and every one of them leaves the foot open.

The sole is the thing to check if you are shopping outside the brand. A rubber-soled canvas espadrille behaves the way the Havaianas pair does: wipe it, wash it, wear it wet. A traditional jute-soled espadrille looks identical in a product photo and cannot be machine washed at all, so the reason you wanted this shoe disappears. Read the sole material before you read anything else.

Men have fewer options here than women do, which is why I know several who own espadrilles. A woman can reach for a sandal or a ballet flat when flip flops feel too casual. A man usually goes from flip flop to trainer with nothing in between, and the espadrille is that missing step. My Havaianas flip flops review covers the open-toe end of the same range.

Both pairs travel the same way, which is flat, light and indifferent to a wet bag. Neither one earns its place in a carry-on on its own, so they go in alongside the rest of what I pack for travel.

FAQ

Do Havaianas espadrilles run big or small?

They run true to size in my experience. The fit is snug around the foot, which keeps them on without a strap, so take the next size up if your feet are on the wide side or you want to wear them with the heel folded down.

Do Havaianas espadrilles stretch?

The canvas becomes softer and more flexible with wear rather than genuinely stretching. The sole holds its shape, so the shoe does not turn into a size larger over a summer.

How do you stop Havaianas espadrilles from smelling?

Put them in the freezer overnight, which kills off the bacteria causing the smell without another wash cycle. Wearing a thin no-show sock stops the problem starting in the first place.

Where can you still buy Havaianas espadrilles?

Third-party sellers and the resale market, because Havaianas has stopped listing them in its own US and European shops. Expect gaps in sizes and colours rather than a full range.

WonderfulWanderings Pro Tips

The 4 tips below come from wearing the same pair since Havaianas sent it and from re-checking the brand’s own shops in September 2026, and none of them is on the product page.

1. Buy your normal size, not a size up. The canvas softens rather than stretches, so a pair that felt roomy on day one will still be roomy in year three. Size up only if you plan to wear them with the heel folded down, the way a lot of my friends do.
2. Check the size chart before you order. Havaianas sizes are Brazilian, which is not the same as US or European sizing, and the espadrille has no wide fitting even though the flip flop does.
3. Freeze them overnight instead of washing them again. A night in the freezer deals with the smell and costs the canvas none of its colour. Save the machine wash for when they are genuinely dirty.
4. Buy the socks at the same time as the shoes. The rubber sole that makes these washable is also what makes your feet sweat, and a thin no-show sock with a silicone heel grip solves it from the first wear rather than after the first bad day.

About the author. This guide is written and maintained by the Wonderful Wanderings editorial team. Wonderful Wanderings was founded in 2012 by Sofie Couwenbergh, and the notes in this review come from her own pair of Havaianas espadrilles, sent by the brand for review and worn since. The team covers packing gear for independent travellers, including the shoes, bags and clothing worth putting in a carry-on, and updates this page when a product changes, is discounted or leaves the range.