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!
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!
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.
Wow! those are nearly identical! thanks for the side-by-side comparison.
Thanks! I think I'll pick up a pair!