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Reinventing espadrilles: A new look for Salvador Dali's shoes
Anna Llado in Barcelona
Europe;Spain
01:40

 

Before the pandemic, La Manual Alpargatera was a must-see tourist attraction in Barcelona.

It was the only traditional manufacturer of espadrilles in the city and even artist Salvador Dali and Hollywood actress Penelope Cruz bought pairs of the Spanish shoe there.

But over the past year, the shop lost 90 percent of its turnover – mostly because 80 percent of its customers were tourists, with around 60 percent from Asia and 8 percent from China. 

 

 

"The pandemic has jeopardized the business," noted the owner, Joan Carles Tasies, who works beside his wife, Asilde Sanchez.

In 2020 "we expected to bill 1.5 million euros ($1.8 million) and only got 200,000 euros ($244,000)."

"It's a disaster," he added.

 

Joan Carles Tasies, the owner of La Manual Alpargatera, sitting in his store. His mother bought the store in 1980 from its founder, Emilia Martínez.

Joan Carles Tasies, the owner of La Manual Alpargatera, sitting in his store. His mother bought the store in 1980 from its founder, Emilia Martínez.

 

In the absence of tourists, the shop has attempted to a new customer base – by reinventing the centuries-old espadrilles as winter slippers.

"Here there is a tradition of wearing winter slippers, the so-called grandfather slippers, with squares," Carles Tasies said.

"With people at home locked up when it's cold, we thought we could make slippers inspired by espadrilles."

This move did not make them rich.

At the shop's height, it had up to 20 employees, who hand-crafted around 50,000 pairs of espadrilles every year. But now, they only make the shoes on demand with the help of only a couple of employees.

But this change did increase their brand awareness.

And according to Carles Tasies, the shop has always been at the forefront when it came to reinventing espadrilles, claiming it created the first modern wedge-shaped espadrilles with vivid colors and  in the 1940s.

"We have been reinventing espadrilles for 80 years, either in a more visible way or with simpler details. We are a start-up with 80 years of history," he said.

"Our way of working is always entrepreneurial, trying to innovate and at the same time keeping tradition."

Video editor: Nuri Moseinco. 

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