We travelled to Spain, my home country, and visited the family run factory that made our SS24 Espadriles… We also ate the best tapas in between factory visits! 

If you visit  Alicante area this summer, do not miss a spot called “Nou Manolin”, the food was just incredible and the service super friendly. Alicante and Valencia area are also the home of “Paella”, considered the best in Spain and another must if visiting.

At the espadrille factory, we met with the owner Jose Azorin, who took the Espadriles factory over from his father, and his father from his grandfather, it’s been a family business for generations. We also met his mom, who was sitting there stitching Espadriles, same as any other factory worker. “We all work here”, he said, “the whole family, for good and for bad.” he laughed…

He gave us a tour through the whole factory and showed us how Espadriles are made. They use antique spinning machines dating back to the 1930s to prepare the materials needed to make the soles. Yarns of recycled fibers are intertwined and threaded to form strong braids that are renowned for their durability.