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The production process
To produce a pair of Gallardo handmade shoes, the craftsmen follow the same
steps as their predecessors in workshops a hundred or two hundred years ago. Shoe
manufacture today might be a highly mechanized industry, but at Gallardo the same
traditional craftsmanship from half a century ago is maintained with the utmost
respect today.
Once the customer has chosen the model they require, measurements are taken (length,
width and instep); here at Flamenco-world.com this process is carried out by the
customers themselves, following simple instructions. Then it's down to work. First
comes the lasting, where the lining for the chosen model is fitted to the last,
the wooden shoemaker's block. After this comes the cutting process, where the
leather is cut into all the different parts (the heel, tongue...). Then it's time
to assemble all the pieces of leather which have been cut, using a machine. At
this stage the corresponding accessories are also attached (elastic, buckles,
etc.).
Click the images to enlarge:
The next stage is the bottoming process. Using the last, the shoemaker stretches
and adjusts the leather with nails, so that later the nails can be put in (one-by-one).
The shoe is centered, straightened up and left in that position for 48 hours.
Then comes the heeling stage. The shoe is taken off the last and the remaining
parts are attached: the heel-stiffener, the heel itself and the nails, both in
the heel and in the toecap. Then it's time for the finishing process, where the
finishers insert the insoles and the filler section. There's a final make-over,
where the shoe is polished and the finishing touches are added. And this is a
true team effort, where every pair of shoes is treated as a true work of art,
completely personalized, and great care is taken to ensure the customer gets what
he or she wants. In fact every shoe is marked from the very beginning with the
customer's name and the shoemaker's initials.
The result of this arduous production process is a strong shoe, "very
resistant and hard-wearing, characterized by the nails in both the heel and toecap
giving the distinctive flamenco sound." It clearly isn't a shoe for everyday
use, "although we have had clients ask us for an everyday shoe based on our
model." And on a few occasions Gallardo has also produced shoes for other
genres of dance - in fact it was entrusted with the making of shoes for the musical
'The Beauty and the Beast'.
This is the process that lies behind every pair of Gallardo professional shoes,
though there is also a semiprofessional range available, known as the 'A series'.
The difference between the two types is that only a part of the semiprofessional
shoes is stitched, while the rest is glued; the professional shoe is stitched
throughout. As Zapardiel explains, "it's obvious that the professional shoes
require greater care and attention." And the design is also more exclusive.
Every season the brand launches new models, with different openwork and embellishments.
But one thing remains the same always, and that's the shoemaker's last, a central
feature of this line of shoes. Currently "we have twenty different models
but they're made on the same last".
Click the images to enlarge:
At present Gallardo Dance produces more than five thousand pairs of shoes annually.
Of this total, Flamenco-world.com - exclusive Internet point of sale - distributes
a third all around the world. Half the total output is exported; Japan is the
main country where the company sends its shoes, though the brand has already made
a name for itself in the U.S., Canadian and Australian markets, among others.
Every one of these little works of art carries the guarantees that can be inferred
from the distinguished clientele. The list is endless, but the list of leading
artists who use Gallardo shoes includes the companies of Sara Baras, Antonio Márquez,
Antonio Canales, Eva Yerbabuena and the Ballet Nacional de España, to name
but a handful.
On the lookout for young craftsmen
Technological progress has, slowly but surely, turned the shoemaking industry
on its head. In fact, the firm's spokeswoman tells us, since one of Gallardo's
objectives is to continue with the traditional craftsmanship, "it's essential
to get youngsters interested in this profession, and entice them into this career,
especially so because the majority of the craftsmen are nearing retirement."
She feels that if no youngsters step up to take the place of the generation who
are leaving, this profession could disappear in fifteen to twenty years. In any
case Gallardo already has two young apprentices on the team at its workshop, comprising
staff altogether: cutters, finishers, pattern cutters, etc...
Consequently the greatest challenge to the company now is to preserve the craftsmanship
which it was built on. For this very reason there's no intention to boost production:
"If we want to maintain the level of craftsmanship we have at the workshop,
then we have to continue producing small quantities, and keep everything hand-made".
These are the figures: each shoemaker makes on average seven semiprofessional
shoes a day and five professional shoes. "The numbers give you an idea of
how long it takes to make them." Twenty to thirty days… of craftsmanship.
magazine@flamenco-world.com
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