The Spanish capital boasts a long and unique tradition in menswear, particularly in footwear. Despite Spain's declining production of footwear over the decades, with much of it moving to Asia, Madrilenians still uphold a strong preference for high-quality leather shoes. The zapaterias, as the Spanish call their shoe shops, are concentrated in the old town, around the historical shoemaker's quarter in Caille de Toledo. However, they are omnipresent throughout the city and hard to miss. Let me show you four of my favorite zapaterias in Madrid.
Let's start by exploring the Spanish all-star-shoe, the "Pisamierda", which roughly translates into "sh*t stomper". These shoes, in design similar to Clark's Desert Boots, can be found in almost every Spanish household due to their affordable pricing. For instance, LOBO, a shop in Calle de Toledo, sells a pair made of suede for around 30 EUR link. It goes without saying that you should treat them with water repellent spray right after the purchase and avoid wearing them in moist conditions whenever possible - the suede is unforgiving.
On Calle Claudio Coello in the upscale Salamanca neighborhood, you'll discover a shop belonging to the Spanish brand Meermin. The shop is nice and spacious, with a small but nice inventory of boots, loafers and oxfords. The service is friendly, and they offer goodyear welted leather boots made of French calf leather for 200-300EUR per pair. Take a look at the image above to get an idea of what I'm talking about, or look through their webshop. While the price is fantastic, be aware of the increased variance in the shoe's quality. During my visit, I observed shoes with scratches in the leather and uneven stitching that were on display for sale. I recommend that you take your time to carefully inspect the pair of shoes that you're about to buy. If you do, you might score a pair of shoes that might otherwise cost you double at places like Redwing.
Berwick also sells shoes in Salamanca, on Calle de Hermosilla. The company, with two brick-and-mortar stores in Spain and one in Korea and Japan, offers a broader selection compared to Meermin. They specialize in goodyear welted constructions, and mostly use thick calf leather for their shoes. A pair of boots will cost you about 250EUR. Personally, I found the quality of shoes sold at Berwick to be superior to what I observed at Meermin, with less noticeable flaws. I highly recommend the destination.
In a league of their own are Tubet Zapateros in Caille de Núñez. While the vendors at Meermin and Berwick are nice and helpful, the staff at Tubet Zapateros takes it a step further. They will listen to your preferences, provide a selection of shoes for you to try on, and even put the chosen pair on your feet while sharing information about the craftsmanship. Tubet Zapateros stocks high-end brands like Allen Edmonds, Alden, Crockett & Jones and Carlos Santos. Be prepared to spend at least 300EUR for a pair of oxfords and at least 400EUR for a pair of boots.