Espadrilles are the most honest summer shoe and the fastest destroyed. Canvas on top, a woven esparto sole underneath - lovely while it is dry, and then one evening on damp stone or one unexpected burst of water across a summer square is enough for the sole to start falling apart. Anyone who has bought a pair knows how long they last: one summer, if they were lucky.

There is a trick doing the rounds on TikTok with over 1.5 million views. User Celia Guerrero demonstrates it, and the point is that it costs less than a euro.

You need white paper glue, water, a small container and a brush. That is all. Put the espadrilles on a flat surface, tie back or tuck away the laces so they do not get dirty, mix the glue and water in the container, then carefully brush the whole sole and the heel. Take care not to touch the fabric above.

There is a moment when you will think you have ruined them. Right after application the esparto looks white and blotchy, as though you spilled something on it. Do not panic and do not wipe - leave them to dry completely. Once dry, the layer turns transparent and even, and the sole gains a protective coating that repels moisture.

The method works on any pair with an esparto sole, whether it is from Zara, Mango or Spanish makers like Castañer, Toni Pons or Gaimo. The material is the same, so the protection is the same. There is no logic in paying more for a pair you will ruin in exactly the same way.

The fashion industry lives off the opposite. Not off your shoes lasting two summers, but off you needing a new pair next summer. That is why nobody tells you this when they sell them to you, and it is not on the label either. One euro of glue against an entire extra season - the maths is clear, just not for the person selling them.