Shoes-day: J Crew Caribe vs. Merona Essie Espadrille

I found the J Crew Caribe Espadrille on ebay in navy last month and love them. In Target a few weeks ago I found the Merona Essie Espadrille and noticed they were familiar-looking. I was wearing the Caribe’s and did a quick comparison in the store and they are almost exact.

J Crew Caribe is a size 7.
Merona Essie is a size 6. 
The Essie in a 7 for me was way too big while the 7 in the Caribe is a perfect fit.
The way the ribbon lays is the same pattern. 
The Caribe has a suede insole while the Essie is soft and suede-like.
The heel height is the same. 
The sole is slightly different. The Caribe is all rubber while the Essie is a rubber and canvas.
I don’t know all the colors the Caribe came in but my guess is at least navy and black and possibly red.
The Essie comes in Black, Red, and Gold, in-store and online.
At $19.99 the Essie is a great deal and wears the same as the Caribe, which is no longer available (other than ebay and the JCA Exchange). 
Happy Shopping!

4 Comments

  1. May 18, 2010 / 9:50 pm

    Thanks for the info! You mentioned there was a size difference in the 7's for you and that the Merona size 7s were too big. Did you think they were running about a half size big or a full size big? Or were they TTS and the Caribes were running small?

    I see they're available on Target's site in full and half sizes so wondering if I should order my true size or size down.. Thanks!

  2. May 18, 2010 / 10:25 pm

    I would actually say the Merona's are TTS and the Caribe's run small. I bought the 6 because they didn't have a 6 1/2 in store in the black. My foot fits it perfectly (no heel hanging over) but a 6 1/2 would have been the best.

  3. May 18, 2010 / 11:03 pm

    Wow! those are nearly identical! thanks for the side-by-side comparison.

  4. May 18, 2010 / 11:15 pm

    Thanks! I think I'll pick up a pair!