Do you know what Salvador Dalí, Penélope Cruz and Jack Nicholson have in common? Their taste for espadrilles from La Manual Alpargatera, the most genuine espadrilles store in the city!
Many famous personalities have visited this historical espadrilles store in the Gothic neighborhood, but that is just an anecdote. When you get to know the story of this store firsthand you realize their most treasured secret since the 1940s: they have managed to preserve their traditional values and stay true to their essence.
So we went to visit this genuine place in the city to meet Joan Carles Tasies, who is in charge of the business now, to know how this journey of becoming an icon of the city has been over all these years.
La Manual Alpargatera: crafting espadrilles since 1940s
Espadrilles in Barcelona: How did it all start?
La Manual Alpargatera was founded in 1940, following Emilia’s Martínez idea of creating a new concept of espadrilles. She was the first person who came up with the idea of “fashion espadrilles”. Because until that moment, the use of espadrilles was just limited to work in the field or just to stay comfortable at home. But never used in other environments. Joan Carles explains that “Emilia bought a little espadrilles workshop, and she guided the artisans to craft the type of espadrilles she had in mind and at the same time she learnt the trade to be able to create this new concept”.
Espadrilles: from the countryside to the city streets
And this is how the first fashion espadrilles as we know them today were born. Beyond being used as part of a work uniform, they became popular as a fashion complement. Joan Carles explains how the first fashion espadrilles were sold in La Manual Alpargatera: “Emilia’s assistant in the store was a young girl named Joana Martínez. She actually was the one who sold the first pair of espadrilles at la Manual Alpargatera, because Emilia got really nervous when the first client came into the store”. Wondering who Joana Martínez was? “Joana Martínez was my mother”, says Joan Carles with a proud smile.
Joana Martínez, Joan Carles’ mother, took over the business
Years went by, and many espadrilles were sold since that first pair. And since Emilia and her husband, Oliver’s marriage, had no children, they had a pretty clear idea of who they wanted to continue with the business, that was such an important part of their lives. Someone who had been there from the beginning, someone who they trusted completely and absolutely knew the concept of espadrilles they created. And it could only be one person who met those requirements: Joana Martínez. And after Joana, today, it is another woman who leads the Manual Alpargatera workshop, and the real driven force of the store: Asilde, Joan Carles’ wife.
La Manual Alpargatera today
In search of the perfect harmony between tradition and modernity
“You see this bench where we are sitting? It has always been here, since 1940”, says Joan Carles. And we believe this is one of the most treasured secrets of this place: having found the perfect balance between traditional and modern values. “That table there in the workshop is the same table where the first espadrilles were crafted more than 80 years ago”, points out. They try to preserve everything they can with the aim of integrating the most creative and modern things with the most traditional ones. And at the same time preserving the trade of “espardenyer”, who traditionally has crafted espadrilles over history.
Beyond a store: a symbol of the country
La Manual Alpargatera was the first workshop to craft espadrilles following a fashion concept. And it is actually the last artesanal espadrilles workshop open nowadays in Barcelona. “We are kind of a reserve of knowledge around the trade of espardenyer, very few people are dedicated to this trade today. So we are a reference in the city, when somebody needs some specific knowledge regarding espadrilles, they come to the store to ask”. Joan Carles understands La Manual Alpargatera beyond a business, taking a major responsibility regarding this cultural aspect: “We can’t afford to do things wrong”, he says.
The future of la Manual Alpargatera
We have taken a look back into the past of La Manual Alpargatera, also seen how the store is today, but what about the future? Joan Carles has a very clear idea: “We want to grow according to what we are able to do, always preserving the essence of who we are. Because we want to keep crafting espadrilles here in Barcelona, not anywhere else”.
When asking to Joan Carles about the future of La Manual Alpargatera, he points out one of his important goals: “Our hope is that in Barcelona everyone will be proud to have La Manual Alpargatera as one of the icons in the city, the same way we have la Boqueria or other historical treasures”. Also, “to remain authentic and real, keeping this balance between fashion and tradition”.
And if you ask us about our opinion after this interview, we have no doubt: la Manual Alpargatera is one of the most genuine and real places in the city. Beyond the walls and the beautiful historical furniture, you can perceive their aim of treasuring a part of a culture while preserving their identity, created by Emilia and then continued by Joana, and Joan Carles and his wife Asilde now. And you might come into this store to buy a pair of espadrilles, but what you probably don’t know is that, at the same time, you will be treasuring a little piece of history.
And we mean it. Because… Did we already tell you that an espadrille from la Manual Alpargatera is part of a collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York? :-)