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Let the material do the talking: Pedro García’s hybrid techniques for a respectful approach

For over fifty years, Pedro García has been working on the possibilities in footwear design, with its Made in Spain pledge and social responsibilities

Pedro García’s experimentation on materials 

Over time Pedro García’s design approach has adopted specific physical attributes, which became traditional while associated with the brand’s collections that speak to the country’s culture. The team is aware of the message conveyed through their work, connected to the product: a creative space where the brand explores its possibilities and pushes them further, looking back at the label’s history while adopting a modern perspective. 

They work outside their usual context. Through their experimental process, the house has created a decorative language for its footwear that became an integral part of its identity. The employment of the Castoro raw-edge suede cowhide has brought anatomical soles on high heels.

This material is soft but at the same time has a thick and flexible consistency which offers rigidity to the designs without requiring internal structure or a lining, so that the use of seams is reduced to the minimum. The soles are made from natural rubber and cork, guaranteeing strength and flexibility.

Inspired by the shape of a footprint in the sand, the anatomical soles distribute body weight with a cushioning effect, absorbing impact as the wearer walks while allowing the foot a full range of movement. That idea is one of Pedro García’s signature designs, whose novel raw-edge treatment is used to bring satin out into the daylight, rubbing its association with evening wear out. A new way of presenting a material: cutting it to leave raw edges, without finishes or seams, making the shoes more comfortable.

The Vacchetta sandals and the Parson sneakers

The same rough-hewn finish was employed in the Vacchetta sandals. They are made of vegetable-tanned leather; a technique traced back to Ancient Rome, where people noticed that certain tree barks helped preserve hides. It relies only on natural tannins and vegetal preservatives that give the leather characteristics like patina. An artisanal construction that stems from years of research, the frayed satin is today a badge of the Spanish brand. The dried silk satin is found again in the old school-inspired sneakers Parson, where the material is again treated with the raw edge finish. Rendered in premium stitch split suede cowhide, the profile is crafted from twenty-four individual pieces; the sneakers show the contrast of conventional materials and silhouette cues to create a new form. 

The brand is built on a foundation of craftsmanship, the design process ongoing experimentation, which continues until a suitable aesthetic solution is found. The combination of the designers’ talent and the skilled hands of the artisans turns the factory into what the director himself calls a ‘Design Laboratory’. The firm’s priority is to investigate materials, shapes, and colors resulting in specialist artisans merging opposing concepts to spawn hybrid silhouettes; they juxtapose contrasting materials and make them match. 

Pedro García’s Made in Spain social commitment 

Over the last ten years, Pedro García has been associated with the Made in Spain ethos. For three generations now, the shoes have been manufactured exclusively in Alicante. Hence, for the family, made in Spain is synonymous with ‘made with quality by our people’, which involves a sense of social responsibility.

Furthermore, the label aims at having the business positively impact the local environment, with an ethical approach to producing every piece in Elda. This enables the communication between the designers and artisans. At this moment, the designs can be refined until quality is achieved. 

«Elda has a long and storied reputation for its shoemaking artisans. We continue to stay here to express our deep connection with the region and commitment to artisans’ value, supporting the local economy and employing the craftspeople», explained creative designer García. Made in Spain denotes even more than guarantying the quality of the brand. 

Made in Spain by Daniel Riera

The label has made it its point to highlight the heritage that inspires its design: from the local architecture and landscape, the young García created a bi-annual photography journal titled Made in Spain. Photographed by Daniel Riera, the journal captures the essence of different areas in Spain through editorial content which features artisans and their work, culture, and tradition of the area. The goal of the publication is to shine a light on the unknown diversity of the country, in a personal look at things that go unnoticed despite having always been there. 

Starting from the northwestern Celtic areas to cities like Barcelona, Menorca, Valencia, and Madrid, to the desertic inland areas, the journal focuses on Spanish iconography, cultural attractions, as well as on the societal harmony found in cities like Seville, where the coexistence of different civilizations under centuries of Moor rule has brought a distinct aura in the city.

After a decade of exploring the country, all the material and all the stories have been gathered and translated into a Spain travel journal. The firm’s commitment to remaining linked to the Made in Spain philosophy became part of its logo, allowing clients to connect with the product, the history of Spain, and its longstanding tradition in the footwear industry. Now, it’s time to let the material do the talking. 

Elda’s tradition in footwear

On the banks of the Vinalopó river, in the Mediterranean region of Alicante, stands the city of Elda, a place known for its tradition in the footwear industry and distinguished for its concentration of artisans. In the valley where Elda rises, Pedro García founded his label in 1925, a family brand of shoemakers with the entire company’s footwear manufactured in the family-owned factory.

The Made in Spain pledge is part of their corporate identity. Back in the nineteenth century, the region’s footwear business began when local craftsmen and women created rudimentary esparteña sandals out of the esparto grass, which is still found in the mountains around the town. Then, craftspeople started to find different uses for natural vegetable fibers, such as jute and hemp. Finally, artisans began to make woven shoes, which can be seen today in traditional Alicante costumes.

World War I and the following economic progress of the 1920s led the city to transform from a farming community to an industrial village, as more families began to embrace crafts using the local reeds. Apprentices moved in from outside the village, and by the end of the nineteenth century, factories sprung up to cope with the demand for quality shoes.

Due to its historical value in the shoemaking category in Spain, Elda was the right venue for the footwear Museum, an area to present the evolution, history, and techniques of manufacture in this sector, from medieval times to the present. Over the years, the city has hosted an annual shoe fair, which still attracts exhibitors, designers, and manufacturers from all over Europe.

Pedro and Mila García and the Sarabel model

For three generations, the García family has kept the region’s manufacturing tradition, focusing on industrial craft know-how in every detail of their collections, a handcraft heritage, and an extensive experience in manufacturing with only one goal: to obtain a product prestigious for its quality. 

Brother and sister Pedro and Mila García are the third generations to lead the shoemaking firm, with Mila holding the CE0 post and Pedro as the label’s creative director; together, they took over the reins from their father, who was also named Pedro García, as was their grandfather, giving the brand its own identity, as well as international scope.

One of the first brand’s hallmarks was the introduction of Swarovski crystals on flat sandals, such as the Sarabel model – flat sandals crafted from Tuscan leather. In addition, it’s laden with nearly three thousand Swarovski pavé microcrystals. Today, the label is sold in thirty-six countries, having a solid presence in the European, Asian and American markets.

Pedro Garcia footwear brand

Established in 1925 in Elda, Pedro García is a family-owned footwear business. Today thanks to the founder’s grandchildren, the company has become internationally renowned. The brand is known for its innovative use of materials, as well as its raw- edge treatment and its social commitment to the local environment, with the ethical approach of the ‘Made in Spain’ philosophy.

Cecilia Falovo

The writer does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article.

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