MENORCAN AVARQUES

Next summer these typical Menorcan sandals will have a guarantee of origin to prevent other factories from the Peninsula to imitate this brand name.

IES JOSEP MIQUEL GUARDIA

Our local shoes “avarques” as they are called in Menorcan or “abarcas” in Spanish are being invaded by other factories that are imitating our traditional brand. Avarques are considered the typical and traditional Menorcan footwear and they are made from real leather and rubber soles. They come from the pre-Roman times and they were only used by those people who used to work in the fields such as farmers and landworkers . in the 19th century and the first third of the 20th century these very same local farmers asked Servera d’es Mercadal, a small family business that made this footwear to use rubber soles – from recycled tyres- to manufacture harder sandals so that they could walk along rural areas without difficulties. The rest of the sandal was made from pig or box calf leather. These shoes were very rustic and only came in the original colour of the skin. Today there are about 30 local businesses that make this footwear, 12 of which collaborate with each other. Avarques are manufactured by local factories even though there are also some in Alicante, China and and Saragossa that use the same brand name . About 300.000 pairs of avarques are manufactured every year and almost all of them are sold. As there are other factories out of Menorca that sell these sandals as if they were genuine, Menorcan footwear merchants association have requested that this local footwear have a certificate of guarantee of origin.

Menorca avarques are appreciated for their comfort and quality thanks to a traditional process that is passed down through generations. They are also included in the collections of the most prestigious designers and shoe shops that offer a wide range of colours as well as modern and innovative decorative designs. For example, there is even a hand-made eco-friendly line. Moreover, they are sandals for every age, as they are available from size 18 to 46.

These factories forge our footwear in order to make profits , which is detrimental to our local economy as they can sell them cheaper because of their location, and therefore, easier transport . Consequently, what could be considered exclusive before becomes ordinary due to this forgery of our brand . If one island has its own traditional trade, it is not fair that other factories from other places forge the very same product. This is the reason why local business are fighting to make this footwear an exclusive local brand