THE PERENNIAL SUMMER SHOE GETS A BUTTERFLY TWIST
Breezier than sneakers, more comfortable than embellished sandals, and dressier than flip-flops and mules but just as comfortable, laidback and versatile, espadrilles epitomize the perfect holiday shoe. They complement every summertime look, whether you’re biking over cobblestone streets in the south of Europe or on your walk to work in the concrete jungle without looking out of place.
UK footwear brand Butterfly Twists, known to London gals and in-theknow Manila ladies for the invention of the foldable ballet flat in 2009, updates the ribbon ankle laced variation of the espadrille in its spring/summer line with lightweight EVA platform soles with a raffia jute wrap and a rounded square toe and grosgrain ribbon ankle tie inspired by the ballet pointe. It comes in classic black, navy or blush, or in baby blue or light pink gingham, the latter in collaboration with the vintage-inspired label HVN by London-born, New York-based designer and DJ Harley VieraNewton. You might’ve seen her hyper-feminine wrap dresses on Selena Gomez.
Butterfly Twists had an unlikely start in fashion life. In 2007, two brothers and their two oldest school friends — Emmanuel Eribo, Frank Eribo, Mark Quaradeghini and Philippe Homsy — made a bet that saw the unluckiest of them attending a party in a pair of six-inch stilettos. What started as a joke turned into a newfound solidarity with the women enduring evenings out in towering high-heeled shoes. The conversation about comfortable footwear that might deliver a little glamour turned into Butterfly Twists. The boys don’t wear women’s shoes anymore, but if they did, they would make a pair of Butterfly Twists their first choice.
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Butterfly Twists is officially distributed by Total Sports Technology Inc. in the Philippines and has 15 stores nationwide. Shop online at butterfly-twists.ph or follow the brand @butterflytwistsphilippines on Facebook or @btwistsph on Instagram.