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.
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.
A week on the beautiful Caribbean island of Hispaniola put me in my happy place. The Rincón beach in the Samaná peninsula, Dominican Republic, is ranked as one of the 10 Best Beaches in the world. It's a 20-min ride from the village of Las Galeras. The trip by power boat is even shorter. Of course, I did not forget about Spanish shoes.
I came across AGARE website in early spring. After reading an interview with Ignacio López Modrego, the founder of the company, I found out that AGARE is a family business named after Mr López Modrego's three daughters - Ana, Olga, and Teresa. The sisters are now running the business, which is based in Illueca, a small town near Zaragoza in northeastern Spain. AGARE's target market is urban men and women aged 35-50, who are looking for casual, sporty, and comfortable shoes at a reasonable price.
It's sneakers time again! I see more and more of them on the street in Toronto, replacing winter boots. Many Spanish companies make sneakers. Some I had already featured on this blog and some are new. There are so many (even after I narrowed down my selection) that I decided to divide them thematically. This post is about print sneakers - flowers, camouflage, animal print and so on.