More than 350 shoemakers from Valverde del Camino produce every year over 400.000 pairs of boots, with an estimated turnover of 24 million of euros. Its production is distributed in more than 100 countries, reaching destinations like Cuba (even during the hardest times of Castro’s rule). And supply from the Guardia Civil (Spanish police) to celebrities like the ex-model Kate Middleton, now part of the Brithish Royal Family. Of course, it is impossible to dissociate the camperos boots and rociero boots from this town that belongs to Huelva’s province, famous for the excellent work its artisans do. Master bootmakers that, despite the passing of time, keep the essence of their artwork.
A brief history about camperos boots
Nowadays, camperos boots go beyond their initial purpose of land work footwear and have become another piece of our urban look. Of course, they still continue as an essential part of Rocio pilgrimage outfit. With the time, has become a kind of footwear perfectly integrated with the most contemporary dressing styles. But camperos boots had a long way to go until this happened.
It is very difficult to know the exact time of camperos boots origin. Along human history always some kind of leather footwear has been used to protect our feet. But is not until the 13th Century that appeared the first boots, with high and low calf, that were fastened from the front and the side and were made with cow or goat leather.
During 14th Century appeared the camperos boots with the style we can nowadays recognize. Although, for four centuries, their fabrication will continue being completely handcrafted. It was in England on the 17th Century when the first mass production started.
The deffinitive change was between 19th and 20th Centuries with the industrial revolution, raw material price’s decrease and first synthetic materials. Mass production was implemented and handcraft production is drastically reduced in search of a most affordable footwear. And this is the context where Valverde del Camino’s history gains relevance.
Along 19th Century, Valverde del Camino was keeping an important shoemaking tradition. And at beginnings of 20th Century, a group of local entrepeneurs realized that it was the right time to modernize the sector keeping the artisan structures. So, this way the first modern footwear factory opened in Valverde del Camino in 1912, J.D.L. Arroyo y CIA. Sociedad en Comandita, with a daily production of 500 pairs of boots.
To J.D.L. Arroyo y CIA followed other new factories and in the 30’s Valverde del Camino counted with more than 80 factories (among mechanical, partially mechanic and manual) dedicated to camperos boots production.
During post-Civil War era, the leather sector continued its progress and the town still kept four mechanical factories and more than 70 manual. That was the time when the rociero boots as we nowadays know were born.
Rociero boots, a creation by José Parreño Lineros
We usually tend to mix up camperos and rociero boots. But, the true is that they are not exactly the same. The camperos boots are made with more leather pieces than the rociero ones, they are more stylized and has only two pieces. In fact, the actual rociero boots design is made by Valverde’s native José Parreño Lineros.
During the post-Civil War era, Parreño worked in one of town’s big factories, but decided to establish on his own at his repair shop in street Italia. At beginnings of 40’s the town council organized a competition-exhibition to boost craftmanship activity in the city. Parreño presented a style that improved the footwear used by the farmers and ranchers, by replacing the spats for a whole leather cut that covered half of the calf and creating Valverde del Camino’s leading product: rociero boots.
Recently, the town paid a well deserved homage to the local artisan by dedicating a commemorative plaque at Plaza Boto de Valverde (Valverde boots square).
When you wear a pair of Valverde del Camino camperos boots, whether you wear them for El Rocio pilgrimage or as daily footwear, for motorcycle riding, country line dancing or horse riding, you not only wear a handcrafted quality foowear. You carry part of Valverde’s history and Corbeto’s Boots history indeed.
If you have not yet tried one of them, do not hesitate visiting our camperos leather boots section at our online shop or come by our store located in Las Ramblas of Barcelona, for more than 60 years we have been dedicated to selling camperos boots, a footwear that never goes out of fashion and has accompanied hundreds of thousands of people during their lives.
Image fonts: Expansion, Historia Valverde, Huelva Buenas Noticias
Valverde del Camino greased brown suede camperos boots
Valverde del Camino black leather camperos boots
Valverde del Camino light brown suede camperos boots
