The story of the Portuguese Mexicana.
There were times where people work very hard to
put food on the table. Families were long. More
children more arms to work. Farmers, timbermen,
shepherds and other hard workers, they all took
care of the land. They all lived by the laws of
Nature.
But there was another way of making a living,
from those who learn an art: the craftsmen.
Wicker workers, the blacksmith, taylors,
dressmakers, the potter and, of course, the
shoemaker. The products made by the
craftsmen were then sold at the fairs within the region.
These people could walk many miles carrying
their products to those places.
One of the most important art was the
shoemaker. A pair of shoes or boots would allow
a farmer, a timberman or a shepherd to do his
work. With a pair of shoes you could walk miles.
The shoemaker brought mobility which clearly
helped in the development of the community.
The story of the Portuguese Mexicana.
There were times where people work very hard to put food on the table. Families were long. More children more arms to work. Farmers, timbermen, shepherds and other hard workers, they all took care of the land. They all lived by the laws of Nature. But there was another way of making a living, from those who learn an art: the craftsmen. Wicker workers, the blacksmith, taylors, dressmakers, the potter and, of course, the shoemaker. The products made by the craftsmen were then sold at the fairs within the region. These people could walk many miles carrying their products to those places. One of the most important art was the shoemaker. A pair of shoes or boots would allow a farmer, a timberman or a shepherd to do his work. With a pair of shoes you could walk miles. The shoemaker brought mobility which clearly helped in the development of the community.
Somewhere between the 19th and 20th centuries, a new kind of boot appeared and the shoemakers quickly learned to make them. It was the Mexican boot. Swain Hook brings you the magic of the old Mexicana, with a urban twist. The name Mexicana was inherited from the Mexican boot a long time ago. The Mexican boot came from the Americas. In the 16th century, the Spanish brought their cattle-raising traditions to Mexico and Florida region.
The vaquero became the foundation for the North American cowboy.Mexican vaqueros worn a high shaft boot, with a Cuban heel and no lacing. A specific style of riding boots.
But the Mexican boot had a detail: a kind of clasp made from metal and leather that was used to hold the spurs. The high shaft boot shape of the Mexican boot, was an obstacle for workers like a farmer or a timberman. With this boot you would have low mobility. In Portugal there was no cattle-raising traditions like in Spain. However, this new boot was used only by the wealthiest, normally on Sundays, because work people could not afford a second pair of shoes.
The vaquero became the foundation for the North American cowboy.Mexican vaqueros worn a high shaft boot, with a Cuban heel and no lacing. A specific style of riding boots. But the Mexican boot had a detail: a kind of clasp made from metal and leather that was used to hold the spurs. The high shaft boot shape of the Mexican boot, was an obstacle for workers like a farmer or a timberman. With this boot you would have low mobility. In Portugal there was no cattle-raising traditions like in Spain. However, this new boot was used only by the wealthiest, normally on Sundays, because work people could not afford a second pair of shoes.
But the shoemaker found a way to adapt the Mexican boot as a work boot for farmers, shepherds and others. They started to cut the high shaft and the heel too. After several trials, the high shaft medium heel boot turned into an anckle boot with no heel and with a buckle. The buckle made this new kind of boot distinct, like the clasp of the Mexican boot.
Hard workers of the land would have now a boot that matched their necessities, but at the same time perfect for being used on Sundays after cleaned. With the mastery of the shoemaker, it was possible to create a new kind of boot adapted to a new way of living.
