How luxury Spanish Riding Boots ended
up for sale in Buckinghamshire...
Riding boots have a firm place in Spanish history after the discovery of a cave painting which appeared to show them being worn. That originated somewhere between the years 1200 and 1500 so how did they come to be associated with a small Buckinghamshire village today?
The Spanish Boot Company founder, Emma, explains where it all began:
“During a hot summer working at a stable yard in the Algarve, Portugal, I took many tourists out riding in the beautiful hills of Bensafrim. During these rides I received numerous compliments on a pair of Spanish Riding Boots I had purchased locally. The interest shown in my boots prompted me to make a detour when travelling home. I drove into Southern Spain towards Seville, finally arriving at Valverde del Camino. I overcame some pretty severe language barriers and managed to buy a few pairs of these beautiful country boots before returning home.”
One of the things that most impressed Emma was the good condition of her Spanish riding boots after such a hot, busy summer.
“I was convinced I wanted to start importing these beautiful boots so I looked into the history of the factory that made them. They’d been crafting beautiful boots in Valverde del Camino since 1912, but their history actually went back to the 1870s when a local craftsman won an award for the best shoes at the International Exhibition in Vienna. This led to production moving from craftspeople’s homes to the first proper factory.”
In the past riding boots have been made using all manner of materials, including some interesting choices such as cotton and silk! For Emma, it was the exceptional quality she experienced that convinced her to export the boots.
Jose Mora is an entrepreneur and professional designer who handcrafts these exceptional Spanish riding boots. He talks of himself as a ‘manufacturing technician’ because he knows how best to combine craft and technology.Doing so means he can achieve perfect lines of design which, he explains, are the secret to such elegant boots.
“I love them”, says Emma. “I love all things Spanish, from the proud, polished Spanish horses to the flamboyant and passionate flamenco dancers. I’m so glad I added to my journey and founded The Spanish Boot Company.
