Spring in the step of an Ibizan tradition
- María crafts traditional Ibizan sandals called espardeñas
- Her creations aim to celebrate the traditional craft and its local materials
- She produces limited, bespoke collections
"I learnt my craft by researching the origins of footwear and its making, and being part of an association devoted to preserving Ibiza’s oldest crafts," explains María Morcillo. Over time, she became determined to establish her own workshop and personal hallmark, deeply rooted in the island’s culture. She found her inspiration in the espardeña. “The slow, personalised assembling of these sandals is a task that demands both time and patience,” says María. First, the leaves of the agave plant are cut, then scraped to extract the fibres, which are washed and dried. “Finally, the filaments are joined together to make a thin cord, known as a cordellí, which is used to handweave the espardeñas over a sole of jute or esparto,” she adds. María is invested in upholding the continuity of handmade Ibizan footwear while granting the art of traditional shoemaking a more contemporary twist.
Interview
- What has most inspired you in your career?
- The craftsmanship and cultural heritage of Ibiza. As a child, I remember older women wearing these sandals with their traditional costumes, long skirts flowing down to their feet. This is when this beautiful footwear appeared.
- What do you seek when creating your shoes?
- From the start, what fascinated me most was giving the traditional espardeña a twist – creating elegant pieces without losing the essence of the original. It is footwear made with a unique technique and with local materials, found nowhere else in the world.
- Do you experiment in your craft?
- I experiment with fibre and natural dyes to shape limited, bespoke pieces, always using the same traditional working methods as in the past.
- How would you describe your practice?
- Making this footwear is far from easy – it is a painstaking process requiring both patience and skill. I enjoy creating pieces that carry great cultural value, steeped in history, blending tradition with modernity.
María Morcillo is a rising star: she began her career in 2017
Works
Where
María Morcillo
