Espardenyes i calçat (Inca) — Traditional craft of Mallorca

What it is and technique

Two traditions:

Espardenya: braided and sewn espart or jute sole, canvas upper. See espart-i-cistelleria .
Sabata de pell: the great industrial trade of the island. From the bench shoemaker (pattern making, cutting, sewing, last assembly) to the mechanized factory.

Short story

Footwear industry in Palma, Inca, Llucmajor, Alaró, Lloseta and Binissalem. Very exporting: the loss of Cuba (1898) sank many workshops. Antoni Fluxà brought industrial methods from England and opened the first factory in Inca (1877); in 1914, the first mechanized workshop in the Balearic Islands. From there came Lottusse and, much later, Camper (consolidated in 1975, although it uses "1877" in its brand). Others: Kollflex, Ballco. The history of the anonymous shoemakers "is yet to be done" (Enciclopèdia; Jornades d'Estudis Locals d'Inca).

Expanded timeline:

13th century: the espardenya already appears in documents (Enciclopèdia). Espardenya comes from espart.
1875: the train arrives in Inca; Raiguer's footwear leaves faster towards the port of Palma (Museu del Calçat).
1892: La Igualtat union (Palma); 1898 Center de Mestres Sabaters de Palma. That year foreign trade fell 66%.

-c . 1909-1910: mechanization in Llucmajor. 1915: Exports from Palma are multiplied by twelve (World War I). 1920: Royal Decree prohibiting the export of footwear.

1938: footwear accounts for 40.89% of the manufacturing production value of the Balearic Islands.
1936 onwards: factories in Palma, Binissalem and Inca declare braided shoes. 1950-1980: pell trenat (braided leather) industry in Inca, with home work for women in Sant Joan, Maria de la Salut, Algaida, Búger, Pina, Montuïri, Selva, Mancor… Fairs in Bologna, Düsseldorf and Paris. 2006: Matrema, the last major trenat factory, closes.
1960s: "about 2,000 factories and workshops" in Inca according to Modaes (figure to be verified; mixes minimal workshops).
2018: the museum reopens as the Museu del Calçat i de la Indústria. 2025: "Trenar" exhibition (4,947 visitors).

Process step by step

Bench shoe (general technique; check local nuances with the Museu del Calçat):

1. Pattern: pattern on the last (form).

2. Carve: cut the pieces of leather with a knife, taking advantage of the skin.

3. Apparel: sew the cut (instep); dresser task, often at home.

4. Assemble: tension the cut on the form and nail it to the template.

5. Solar: sew or glue the sole; put heel.

6. Finish: sand, stain edges, polish, remove from shape.

Trenat de pell (Inca, 1950-2000):

Machine-cut leather strips (circular cutting machine, introduced by a modeler from Menorca).
Women braided at home on nailed wooden frames (from 50 x 40 cm to 270 cm long), then on manual telers. Delivery men (rodes) brought material to the towns and paid by piece.
In the factory it was pressed and polished. Use: shoes, bags, belts, furniture.

Espardenya: espart or jute sole braided and sewn in a spiral; hand-sewn canvas upper (general technique).

Forms and objects

Espardenya (canvas and esparto sole); avarques (rustic sandal of shepherds and waiters, also in Mallorca, according to DCVB).
Sabata de pell: dress shoe from Inca and Llucmajor; work boot
Sabata de trenat: braided leather shoe (trençat in popular speech), lady and molinet drawings.
Camper Pelotas (1995): sole with balls, inspired according to the brand in drivers' shoes and in the field (to verify exact origin).
Trenat leather goods: bags, belts.

Vocabulary

sabater: shoemaker.
mestre sabater: shoemaker with his own workshop.
forma: last.
empenya: upper part of the shoe.
sola: sole.
tacó: heel.
aparadora: woman who sews the upper part of the shoe.
trenat / trençat: braided skin (trençat, popular form in Inca).
marc: wooden frame for braiding leather at home.
teler: trenat hand loom.
roda: home work distribution network throughout the towns.
espardenya: espadrille.
espardenyer: who makes or sells espardenyes.
avarques: rustic leather or rubber sandals.
adobar: tan the skin.
assaonador: tanner (per verify usage in Mallorca).

Geography

Raiguer: Inca, Lloseta, Binissalem, Alaró, Consell, Selva. Pla and Migjorn: Llucmajor. Palm.
Why there: tradition of tanneries, cheap agricultural labor, Palma-Inca train (1875), network of female home work in the towns of Pla.
Workers c. 1913: Palma 1,000, Llucmajor 800, Alaró 700, Inca 500, Lloseta 200 (Enciclopèdia).

Xifres

1897: exports for 41.8 million pesetas (Enciclopèdia; to verify unit).
1938: 40.89% of Balearic factory production.
1960s: up to 2,000 factories and workshops in Inca (Modaes, to be verified).
2006: closure of Matrema, the last major trenat factory.
2025: "Tranar" exhibition, 4,947 visitors; more than 20 trainers interviewed.
There is no BIC or heritage declaration for Mallorcan footwear (as of the date of this sheet).

Where and who today

Still active: Lottusse, Camper, Miquel, Bestard, Comes, TLB, Carmina, Vidal (according to the Museu del Calçat d'Inca). lottusse , camper , carmina-shoemaker
Calçat i de la Pell Museum (Inca).
Espardenyes by hand: Alpargateria La Concepció (Palma, 1940), Esparteria Beltran, Ca'n Toni Blancos.

State

I live as a brand industry; the manual trade of bench shoemaker is at risk. Much production has been offshored (not verified by brand).

Contemporary Updates

Museu del Calçat: trenat workshop with Mastrenat and braided leather sandals with the artisan Martina Candela (2025).

Camper is the global case of "the Mallorcan rural as a brand identity" (the name comes from camper, peasant). Carmina Shoemaker participated in LOOP Brodats (2024).

Why is it design

The espardenya is a local object: plant fiber, canvas and hand-sewn; It is repaired and composted. See proximity design .
The trenat converts skin cuts into surface: maximum use of the material.
Camper built a global brand with the idea of the Mallorcan peasant: identity design more than occupation.
The story of Inca shows the risk: when production goes away, the brand remains and the hand-held knowledge is lost.

For the project

Possible piece: document the last Inca bench shoe rack for the atlas; collaboration with an Inca factory using llengües or brodats.
Contact: Museu del Calçat d'Inca; Lottusse (Fluxà family, fourth generation).
Background question: Is Camper indigenous design or indigenous marketing? What remains of Mallorca in a shoe made outside?

Frequently asked questions

What is Espardenyes i calçat (Inca)?

Two traditions:

Who practises Espardenyes i calçat (Inca) in Mallorca today?

The Balearic Islands Crafts Register lists 17 artisans linked to this craft, in Alaró, Inca, Binissalem, Campanet, Palma.

What are the traditional words for Espardenyes i calçat (Inca)?

Some words: adobar, aparadora, assaonador, avarques, empenya, espardenya, espardenyer, forma.

Sources

Working text from the Disseny Indígena knowledge base, machine-translated from Spanish.

Open it in the atlas →