Alpargatería Antigua Casa Crespo

When you think about your business, what are you most proud of?

Proud to have 157 years of history behind us. We have been able to last so long thanks to the sale of quality handmade espadrilles. We manufacture our product by hand in La Rioja. Thanks to this, we participate in the maintenance of a traditional craft with great cultural value. Another of the facts that we highlight is the fact that we offer a personalised service to our customers and we can tell them a unique story.

What is the history of your commerce?

Antigua Casa Crespo opened its doors in 1863 in Divino Pastor Street, a shop dedicated to building products such as ropes, reeds and, of course, black and white espadrilles.

In the seventies, Martín Garbayo introduced a large catalogue of colours for espadrilles, causing such a furore that we received a visit from Queen Sofía.

Today, with Maxi Garbayo at the helm, we have more than 150 years of history under the same family, making Antigua Casa Crespo a place of worship for handmade espadrilles.

What is your professional experience?

Since I was a child I have been establishing links with the world of espadrilles. My grandfather had an espadrille factory and my father inherited Antigua Casa Crespo, where my experience as a shopkeeper began. On the other hand, my wife Ana Ladrón runs the shop with me. Her brother is one of our manufacturers and her family has also always been linked to espadrilles.

How has covid 19 affected your business?

The current health crisis has hit all businesses hard. In our case, the confinement coincided with the start of the espadrille season, so it had a big negative impact. At the same time, international tourism has been greatly reduced and is one of the important target groups of our shop. Nowadays, the situation has not improved much and the clientele has decreased to a great extent.