The outdoors life style is the essence of Spanish living - maybe that’s why there are so many great Made in Spain sneaker brands. It’s not an accident that most sneakers (or bambas, as the Spanish like to call them) featured in this post are made by Barcelona-based brands. Barcelona is not just Spain’s, but Europe’s favourite stomping ground.
I used to think of the moccasin (or the loafer, as many people call it) as something unexciting, conservative rather (funny, isn't it, given the moccasin's humble origin as a simple hand-sewn shoe), but I have since changed my mind. On certain occasions and with certain outfits, a nice moccasin can be both stylish and practical. And, if it is cute, as the Spanish mocs that I'm about to show you are, so much the better. I dubbed this list the "Moccasin File".
Spanish sneakers are great, because of their originality, hand-made quality, comfort, and the overall cool factor. Some are sold worldwide, some are only available within the European Union or, in some cases, only within Spain. But if you had a craving for a swell pair of Spanish sneakers right now, where would you go to get it? Well, I would recommend browsing YOOX and FarFetch - they carry many Spanish brands (YOOX more than FarFetch) and they are great online shopping destinations, with fast, hassle-free shipping, quality service, and free returns.
Custom shoes are becoming a necessity in this increasingly personalized world. If you customize your kitchen, your car, your Internet browser, your smartphone settings, and countless other things, then why not customize your shoes? Shoes express your personality a lot more clearly than all of the above. Shoemakers have long understood that. Of course, in the olden times, any shoes of quality were custom made. Nowadays, in the "everything is mass-produced" world, having your shoes "made to order" is far from the rule, but custom shoes still have their place.
There are so many espadrilles around these days, how can you tell which ones are the "real deal"? And, more importantly, why should you care? Thanks to Diego Arnedo of the www.espadrillestore.com, North Americans have access to espadrilles that are produced in the heart of Spain, by the skillful hands of the people from the village of Cervera del Rio Alhama, in the region of La Rioja.
