The Spanish make some fabulous shoes; quality leather, good craftsmanship and contemporary design. I know because I used to be a footwear buyer. But walking the tourist trails in Madrid, I didn’t come across a single trendy footwear store.
There were plenty of shoe shops, but none selling the edgy, fashion-forward styles I was looking for. I knew there must be a location selling such shoes, but my quick peruse online before I arrived, and inquiries from my hotel in Madrid, didn’t come up with any leads.
Cute children’s Flamenco-inspired shoes
It was my first trip to Madrid, and with only one day to explore, I couldn’t afford to waste precious sight-seeing time searching for a shoe district I wasn’t sure existed.
Consequently, it was with mixed feelings I read Kate Wickers’ article in the Weekend Australian Travel & Indulgence section on my return home. In her article The Perfect 10: Madrid number four is entitled Shoe Shuffle, and has exactly the information I was after.
So if you are heading to Madrid and looking for fashion footwear, read the article here. As Kate says, “Whoever came up with the idea of putting all the discounted designer shoe shops on Calle de Augusto Figueroa was a genius.” The irony is, I did make a quick visit to the Chueca area, I just didn’t make it to the relevant street.
Fun, black and white wedges I picked up in Seville
But I didn’t come home completely empty-handed (perhaps that should be un-shod). I did pick up a couple of pairs of shoes on my travels through Andalusia – just not what I had been looking for. I now own a pair of cute, black and white rope-covered wedges, bought on sale for a bargain price, and a pair of embroidered, black satin flats, which make perfect light-weight evening shoes for traveling.
Let me know if you have a favorite shoe shopping district you visit on your travels.
