International Sandal Makers Series - Katerina of Parga.

Traditionally shoemaking has mostly been done by men. Eager to learn as much as I can about techniques and materials, I have been researching deeply and have discovered there in fact many female sandal makers spread across the world.

On a recent trip to Greece, I was lucky to find myself in Parga, where I met one of these wonderful craftswomen, Katarina. With the help of google translate and my very meagre Greek I was able to find out a little more of her story.

She taught herself the art of traditional Greek sandal making as a young girl, and now spends her summers hand crafting sandals for visitors in her workshop in the town.

She spends the winters at her home near Athens and prepares the bases and components in advance so that she can quickly create the sandals, fitting the straps to the customers measurements. She works late into the night so they are ready to collect in as little as a day .

If you have the opportunity to visit Parga, a beautiful Venetian influenced town on the mainland near Corfu, be sure to look her up, you can easily spot her workshop if you look out for the giant sandal hanging up outside.

Here are a few of our favourite places in Parga if you are headed there soon;

Food:

Hellenikon- delicious food in a charming, quiet stone courtyard, away from the busy tourist crowds on the main promenade.

https://hellenikon.restaurants-us.com/

Atrium Bar for fresh juice and light snacks with amazing views high above the small beach of Piso Krioneri

https://www.instagram.com/atriumbar

The Yard

Perfect for brunch and right across the street from Katerina

https://www.theyardparga.com/

Beaches :

During our stay in Parga, we usually took a boat taxi to nearby Lichnos bay to escape the high-season crowds. Vratos is another calmer beach worth visiting. You can catch a water taxi to either location from Parga harbour. As of 2026, the round-trip fare is €6 for Vratos and €12 for Lichnos.

If Parga isn't on your destination list at the moment, of course I can handmake you a pair of beautiful handmade sandals here in the UK, and we can work together to make sure they are fitted perfectly to your feet and can be made at any time of the year, especially handy if you need them for an off season or winter sun trip.

Artists and Artisans, Farmers and Fashionistas

Catalan Espardenyes (espadrilles to me and you ) have a fascinating history. Although we might be mistaken and think of espadrilles as a women's shoe, they actually are genderless, and have been around for centuries. From their origins in the fields of the rural and coastal basque regions of Spain, during the time of the Spanish civil war they became a symbol of the regional resistance to Franco and his Fascist ideas. A favourite of the Catalan abstract painter, Joan Miro who spent his summers near the town where our espardenyes as well as the controversial Salvador Dali who were both frequently photographed in a pair.

Above: Salvador Dali in classic black espardenyes

Below: Joan Miro painting in a pale ‘Valls’ style

The espadrilles we offer are the classic ‘Pinxo’ ribbon style and have many regional variations of how to tie them and colours to choose from.

The most common is to tie them crisscrossing up the leg, wrapping them to form a wide band at the top like a ballet dancer does.

When wanting a sturdier shoe for the fields or for a good walk in the town the ribbons are threaded back between the side sections which gives more foot coverage and means they look great with socks too.

Sustainable credentials

One of the most sustainable shoes you can find as the main part of the shoe is entirely made from natural biodegradable materials. We have added an up-cycled car tyre sole to make them more durable in rainier climates.

While a staggering 600 billion shoes are made each year with a vast quantity sadly headed for landfill espadrilles are some of the most earth friendly options you can choose and still look extremely stylish.

Dog collar workshops with Nette Leathergoods

MAKE A LUXURY DOG COLLAR

We teamed up with Nette Taylor to host a workshop that introduced participants to the art of traditional leathercraft, held at the beautiful light filled space at the Abney Park Café in Stoke Newington.

Our attendees spent the morning learning a new craft alongside fellow creators fuelled with complimnetary tea and pastries we guided the learners ina step-by-step class so that everyone—including complete beginners—mastered the techniques of hand stitching, burnishing and edge finishing to create their own collars using the provided tools and a selection of beautuful vegetable tanned leather.

By the end of the session, each participant left with newfound skills and a custom leather dog collar—crafted either for their own dog or to give as a thoughtful gift.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for a memorable morning of crafting.

Rosa & Nette

We will be running more workshops this autumn, watfh this space for the new dates.