About us
Previously, thanks to their resistant natural materials, espadrilles were the favorite among workers and farmers. They were known as footwear for the field, low-class, and traditional shoe.
La Manual was founded in the 1940. We have been combining innovation and tradition for more than 80 years, searching for our clients right balance. Thanks to this, La Manual was the first espadrille workshop that made fashion espadrilles.
"We reject any novelty which do not bring quality, tradition or comfortability at the required level." - Joan Carles Tasies, store owner and son of Juana Martinez.
What is La Manual?
The last authentic espadrille workshop creating handmade espadrilles in Barcelona. It started just after the civil war combining an ancient craft tradition with cutting-edge fashion trends of the time.
Today, we handmade espadrilles for everybody. Including for attires as the traditional Gala Catalan police (dress uniform). 
Previously, La Manual was located near the famous Cathedral del Mar. Today we are situated at Avinyo 7. Decorated with a delightful collection of traditional materials arranged according to the functionality of that era.
We are a small family business. You can learn more about our story told by Juana Martinez, previous store owner.
Customers find our espadrilles so comfortable that some vintage espadrilles models from the '40s and '50s remain our best sellers today. We handcraft` espadrilles for women, espadrilles for men, and comfortable to wear espadrilles for kids.
The facade of the espadrille workshop became a characteristic symbol of our city. Over time, the storefront design has been so well known that a customer who didn't know our address sent a letter with a drawing of the storefront, and it still arrived! (This was before Google!)
La Manual Alpargatera, a traditional espadrille store in Barcelona.
Today, it is a must-stop for travelers in Barcelona and a preferred choice by locals as the espadrilles are classic and authentic. We can support these words after having received numerous forms of appreciation from our customer community, international awards and featured in prestigious fashion and lifestyle magazines like Vogue and Elle, to name a few.
