What Pons Quintana is known for
Menorcan footwear house founded in 1953 in Alaior by Santiago Pons, who began with children's shoes before adding hand-woven avarca sandals in 1956; the avarca itself originated generations earlier as farmwear made from leather and recycled tire soles.
Pons Quintana was established in 1953 in Alaior, on the island of Menorca, by Santiago Pons, himself the son of a shoemaker. The company's earliest production was children's footwear; slipper-making was added in 1956. That same period saw the firm take up the avarca, the traditional Menorcan sandal originally devised by farm workers on the island's arid terrain - made from natural leather uppers stitched onto soles historically cut from recycled tires. Pons Quintana built its identity by refining that vernacular design into a fashion product without abandoning the hand-weaving techniques and materials tied to its origin. The company marked its 70th anniversary in 2023 and continues to manufacture in Menorca.
Best for — Artisan sandals, Menorcan
Spain
Where next
- Bontemps Montauk — United States
- Melissinos Art — Athens
- Patricia Blanchet — Paris
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