Pétanque espadrilles go viral

If you love boules but hate bending, French espadrille brand Payote has gone viral with a genius pair of espadrilles US sports fans are snapping up in droves. Starting out as a joke dreamed up when founder Olivier Gelly was playing with friends, the pétanque espadrilles have an inbuilt magnet for collecting *tes boules.

With a social media video of the prototype garnering over 40 million views, tens of thousands of orders flowed in before Gelly and his team had figured out how to make them.

The brand is also known for its fun collabs – like this one with La Vache qui rit – as well as classic styles in leopard print or chic stripes. There’s even a pair with a bottle opener for those hot summer days.

* your balls