Espadrilles are all the rage this season.

What is an espadrille, you might ask?

They're those flat shoes with cotton or canvas tops and bottoms made out of rope. They originally come from France's border with Spain, but they have taken the world by storm, from the Philippines to the Andes.

Sometimes, when you sweat in them, they get real stinky, and if they are cheaply made, the canvas can dye your feet gorgeous reds, oranges and yellows.

Still, New York fashionistas are jumping on the bandwagon in droves.

On the morning commute to work, espadrilles shield stylish feet on the stomping grounds of the Time Square metro station.

Men who are secure in their masculinity or don't care about being a little feminine are also wearing them. Espadrilles are to men and masculinity what the pink shirt was a few years back.

New York storefronts are stocked with different kinds of espadrilles.

Some are adorned with brighter colors to celebrate the coming of summer, which Catalonians-the founders of the espadrille-will celebrate later this week.

Others are slightly more subdued for the men who are afraid to let their feminine sides sing.

Who knew that the espadrille would offer Americans a fun international twist on the usual summer footwear as well as a fashion-forward sociological study about gender roles in the United States!

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