Once upon a time, more than 100 years ago in 1915, in a small town in La Rioja, Spain, a guy called Gregorio had the idea of creating a shoe. And because he was such a romantic soul, he named it after his first love – his wife, Victoria.

The canvas shoes were called “Inglesas”, and they became famous. Everyone wanted to wear them.

Victoria’s shoes are made of material that comes from a plant called cotton – it’s 100% natural. The fabric is dyed to get different shades. More than one hundred incredible colours have been created! The sole contains natural rubber, sourced from the rubber tree itself. When it comes to making the shoes, experts sew the cotton fabric to form the upper part of the shoe.

A method called vulcanisation is used to create the rubber sole. The rubber is moulded into a sole through a “cooking” process, combining heat and pressure, and it is directly attached to the fabric of the shoe. This is how the two parts become one, so that they never, eeeeever part!

Want to know a secret about the shoes that Gregorio made for Victoria? Grab your Victoria shoe and give it a sniff… The sole smells of strawberries! We add perfume to the mix, so you’re always thinking of summer.

The famous Inglesas by Victoria have been made in the same way since the start, and that’s how so many people have enjoyed their Victoria shoes during summers across the generations. Maybe your parents or grandparents even wore them, too!

But this once-upon-a-time story is far from over. The Inglesas have grown up, studied languages and are now exploring the world.  They’ve made it to more than 40 countries!

How far will Victoria’s gift go?

www.calzadosvictoria.com