Life Instyle sat down with Salvador Gomez - Director of Calzia, to discuss his love for jute footwear!
Tell us a bit about the story behind the brand.
Calzia is an association of a group of family-owned companies. The companies manufacture footwear and fashion items in the Region of Murcia, Spain. Our region has been producing shoes and espadrilles for centuries thanks to its wealth of natural fibers such as esparto grass and hemp. We are the largest and best-known manufacturers of jute footwear around the world, adding at the same time, new materials, and designs. Calzia’s brands are promoted together under the brand 'Yute de Caravaca' which reflects our DNA: the values of craftsmanship and sustainable footwear.
What was your inspiration and your brand mission?
Our inspiration comes from the value our people give to the craftmanship work they do, and the pride we take in what we make. We have inherited a tradition that, luckily in recent years, has been recognized around the world, taking our products worldwide thanks to our sustainable and artesian characteristics.
International fashion customers are regularly visiting our factories, big names in the retail and fashion system, and also, small retailers and entrepreneurs whom we are happy to help make their collections come true.
Our associated companies are white-level producers but also, but they have been successfully developing their own brands in the European market and now, we bring them to Australia, with lots of stories to tell, quality to show, and the best knowledge in our segment.
What sets your brand apart from others in the industry?
The beauty of the JUTE footwear is, at the same time, what makes more challenging our production:
Jute is not easy to work with: its adjustments to the last and to the foot are different from other types of footwear. Our artisans have in their hands the know-how from centuries of tradition to work with this natural material and make art with them.
The care taken to maintain tradition and craftsmanship has resulted in industries that are technically excellent with the final product.
Season after season, our factories design their collections following the materials, textures, and colours which are a trend in the fashion system, adapting those trends to the enormous creativity that espadrilles allow.
Working hand in hand with big names in the fashion industry gives our producers an added value: the tradition of craftsmanship and the creativity and excellence of the international designers gives as a result extraordinary products.
What is your favourite product and why?
When the weather allows it, I always wear espadrilles with jute soles and brightly coloured leather uppers.
I would say, jute moccasins are especially comfortable and practical: you can wear them without socks and the foot breathes.
Jute is also a very suitable footwear for children (not to mention girls!).
We can say there is no other type of footwear that combines better:
· comfort,
· the possibility of wearing different heights with wedges or platforms
· the powerful and vivid colours
· designs
Jute footwear is THE cheerful footwear of summer.
What were the first steps you took to launch? And what would you say was the scariest part/your biggest fear?
Lots of the brands in Calzia’s association started with one or more factory workers deciding to set up their own business, creating a new company. The next generations come along and made it grow by incorporating a greater focus on the market. Myself, I came from a family who had their own footwear (jute) factory. Now I have the mission to create joint actions in the association, helping our companies reach together the goals they cannot reach individually. One of our biggest challenges is battle products that, at first sight, they are very similar to our product (made in Asia) BUT they do not meet our criteria of craftsmanship and social responsibility.
Of course, they are cheaper, but they do not have the same quality or the same values we have. We need to work a lot on it: battle with lots of communication our concerns about if the customer knows how to differentiate between one product and the other one.
What do your customers love about your products?
Our final customer finds in our product’s huge comfortability and fashion trends + very good value for money.
Our retail customers can relief in our factories with great experience, solvency, and the ability to react very quickly to their needs.
We have the whole supply chain around our Region which allows us to be very agile in design, samples, and order service.
What path led you to Life Instyle and what about the show makes it a great fit for you?
Exhibiting in Australia and at Life Instyle is a long-awaited goal. For a long time, we believe that in Australia exists a market with growth potential for us.
Your climate and seasonality are perfect to optimise the work in our factories, compensating and distributing the manufacturing throughout the year. In this way, our Australian customers can have a product on time and on budget. The trade fair landscape has certainly changed a lot after the pandemic. It is a challenge to bring back face-to-face activities and events where you can touch and feel the product. We are confident that In Lifestyle is a great platform to get closer to the Australian customer and what you like.
Can you share your proudest moments in business so far?
I truly believe in our region. In our unique product with centuries of story. Having the task of promoting and seeking the growth of footwear companies in our Region makes me very proud and self-motivated. We have been doing lots of work that, when you look back, you can see the actual result. We successfully launched our own fair, the Youte Arts Festival in Caravaca de la Cruz, which is held annually in June. It is a festival that during the pandemic we had the challenge of transforming into a virtual fair. We became the first virtual event in our sector. We achieved it thanks to the union of companies around CALZIA and the support of our regional government which has always responded when we have knocked on their door. We also create a VIRTUAL REALITY experience (you can see it at the fair) where, from Australia, you will be inside of our factories in Spain.
What is the best piece of business advice you have been given?
Don’t be worried about making mistakes. Be worried that the fear of making mistakes prevents you from developing good opportunities.
Who are some of the other brands in the industry that you love/admire?
I like brands that are true to their values.
Among the big ones, I could say Loewe (originally from Spain). Loewe has been able to build a very coherent story but, other smaller brands which are fighting to stay in the market with very few resources, have lots of merits.
In Spain, we have magnificent examples of huge value products like our espadrille makers of Caravaca, the Abarcas in Menorca, or the horse-riding boots of Valverde del Camino.
Quick Fire Questions
1. Where do you see the brand in 5 years’ time?
Being a worldwide reference in sustainability footwear and fashion products.
Attracting the most creative and innovative designers thanks to our TRUE VALUES, story, and expertise.
2. Tell us a fact about yourself that will surprise our readers!
I love cooking. I make great paellas
3. Your Favourite meal
‘Caldero’, a type of paella typical from Murcia cooked with fish from our coast
