Angelina Jolie Travels in the Espadrille Sandal Trend Taking Over Europe

Sneakers? Leggings? The star would never.

Angelina Jolie attends the opening night of "The Outsiders" at The Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on April 11, 2024 in New York City.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Some celebrities operate at such a high style level, they don't have to follow any pre-prescribed rules. Angelina Jolie, who runs errands in rich mom stilettos, wins awards in the most elevated mother-daughter outfits you've ever seen, and designs Oscars gowns, is one of them.

Sauntering off a flight on Monday, August 12, the actress-turned-philanthropist-slash-fashion-designer ignored all the conventional wisdom about summer airplane outfits. Namely, that one should wear comfortable sneakers to speed-walk through the airport, or stretchy leggings to stretch out in her seat. Instead, she hit the tarmac in a summer shoe trend I've noticed reporting from Copenhagen Fashion Week and the heart of London: the towering espadrille sandal.

Angelina Jolie steps off a plane in a black coat and a black dress with tall sandals

Angelina Jolie was photographed exiting a plane in the opposite of a travel outfit.

(Image credit: Backgrid)

Jolie chose what appeared to be a pair of Christian Louboutin sandals set with leather straps and espadrille soles for her afternoon flight. She paired them back to a version of her day-to-day uniform, a black dress and a longline black trench coat. (So far, designer IDs for all three pieces have yet to be confirmed.)

Espadrille-sandal hybrids like Jolie's have been the main character of late-summer street style that I've observed while reporting abroad for Marie Claire this season. With a nudge from the boho wedge sandal revival kicked off on Chloé's runway, brands from Sézane to Franco Sarto have released pairs that are the cousins of another French girl shoe trend, the platform Mary Jane. However, these combine the beachy aura of an espadrille with the towering heights of a strong platform sandal. They've worked their way into casual outfits with drop-waist dresses, boho maxis, and bubble hem skirts, to name a few recent sightings.

That said, Angelina Jolie is the first person I've observed who's so committed to the sandal style, she wears it in transit. Maybe she is following a style rule after all: You should never leave your valuables under the plane.

Shop the Travel Sandal Trend Inspired by Angelina Jolie

Halie LeSavage
Senior News Editor (Fashion & Beauty)

Halie LeSavage is the senior fashion and beauty news editor at Marie Claire, where she assigns, edits, and writes stories for both sections. Halie is an expert on runway trends, celebrity style, emerging fashion and beauty brands, and shopping (naturally). In over seven years as a professional journalist, Halie’s reporting has ranged from fashion week coverage spanning the Copenhagen, New York, Milan, and Paris markets, to profiles on industry insiders including stylist Alison Bornstein and J.Crew womenswear creative director Olympia Gayot, to breaking news stories on noteworthy brand collaborations and beauty launches. (She can personally confirm that Bella Hadid’s Ôrebella perfume is worth the hype.) She has also written dozens of research-backed shopping guides to finding the best tote bags, ballet flats, and more. Most of all, Halie loves to explore what trends—like the rise of doll-like Mary Janes or TikTok’s 75 Hard Style Challenge—can say about culture writ large. (She justifies almost any purchase by saying it’s “for work.”) Halie has previously held writer and editor roles at Glamour, Morning Brew, and Harper’s Bazaar. Halie has been cited as a fashion and beauty expert in The Cut, CNN Underscored, and Reuters, among other outlets, and appears in newsletters like Selleb and Self-Checkout to provide shopping recommendations. In 2022, she was awarded the Hearst Spotlight Award for excellence and innovation in fashion journalism. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English from Harvard College. Outside of work, Halie is passionate about books, baking, and her miniature Bernedoodle, Dolly. For a behind-the-scenes look at her reporting, you can follow Halie on Instagram and TikTok.