Hand Eye Article Including Huarache Blog

As time goes by, websites and posts come, and so the information on the internet eventually also disappears. Therefore I would like to publish the transcripts of some interesting and well written articles which I have been involved in about Huaraches before they also inevitably are taken down one day.

The original articles are also linked since they also include interesting photos from Huarache Blog.

Master and Maker of Mexican Huaraches

BY MARKUS KITTNER October 13, 2011

Señor Armando’s woven wonders

Señor Armando is a Mexican huarachero, or huarache maker who will retire soon. When I approached him on behalf of a Canadian company that was interested in collaborating with him to design sandals, he declined and flatly stated he wanted to “work less, not more.”

Huaraches are traditional Mexican sandals. Their origins are unknown, but there are clear design links between modern huaraches such as Mayan Caites sandals and Pre-Hispanic footwear seen on ancient codices. However, the introduction of cheaper factory manufactured goods has taken its toll on sales and income for craftspeople Like Señor Armando who leaves his trade with no one to continue his work or support his business.

Peasants traditionally wore huaraches and even today sophisticated and urban Mexicans consider them poor peoples’ sandals. But woven huaraches like baskets are made with great skill where the woven uppers are woven directly into the sole and not glued like mass-produced shoes and sandals.

The first huarache sandals were simple to make and everyone could make their own. Over the years the original thong designs as the ‘Pata de Gallo’ have developed into complex woven styles such as the ‘Pachuco’ and the ‘Armadillo’ also known as the ‘Costeno’ because it resembles a fisherman’s sandal.

Every region in Mexico has its different style of huaraches, but there is no official count of all the different styles. Traditional woven sandals exist in Japan called “Waraji,” a word that sounds quite similar to huarache and “Kwarachi” the Purepecha word for sandal although there is no evidence of any connection between the traditional Japanese and Mexican sandals.

All woven huaraches are made using a single strip of leather or textile that is woven around through the holes in the sole and no glue is used to connect the woven upper to the sole. There are still plenty of huaraches made in Mexico, but most are assembled in factories where traditional weaving techniques are still used, but thinner leather is used to reduce costs. This progressive reduction of costs has diminished the quality of huaraches, making them crude and disposable.

In the United States there is currently a huarache fashion trend developing, but many of these shoes come from factories, and unfortunately, craftsmen who continue to make huaraches in the traditional manner and using local materials suffer from the economic consequences of mass production.

Trying to find Señor Armando proved to be a difficult task. All the huaracheria owners around Central Michoacan who sold his huaraches refused to tell me who this huarachero was and where he lived. They were so protective of their business they feared that ‘El Gringo’ might buy all his output and leave them with nothing to sell. Some huarache shop owners went as far as to say that Señor Armando told them that he did not want to be found or contacted; others said he recently died, and another topped the lie saying that although he was dead they were expecting a new batch of the same huaraches from another huarachero—as they put it, “if one dies there are always others to take his place.” Eventually one huarache shop owner caved in and provided me with the name of a remote village. I took a bus serving the indigenous communities in search for this master huarachero, suspicious that I was given any old village just to get rid of me.

I eventually found Señor Armando in deepest Mexico and he was neither angry to be found, nor did he not rob me or hold me for ransom. As it turned out, Señor Armando was happy in my interest in his work, and cheerily welcomed me into his “taller” (workshop). He showed me how he made the same pair of huaraches I was wearing and showed me the three styles of huaraches–he can make up to 15 different styles–that he currently makes. These are only sold in the area between Zamora, Los Reyes and Uruapan in Michoacan.

The beauty of what makes Señor Armando’s huaraches so special is their authenticity: The leather is locally vegetable tanned, the soles are made from used tires and the heel patch is nailed to the sole to prevent stones from sliding under the heels when walking in the fields (a rare feature). And God is in the details as Señor Armando’s huaraches are made with the greatest of care and precision.

His designs have been published on my Huarache Blog (and now in HAND/EYE Magazine) there might be a few pairs that are still available in local shops, and  I am confident those few will be exactly the same. However it’s unlikely that any other will be made with the same honest materials and with such care and integrity as Señor Armando’s shoes.

Put This On Article Including Huarache Blog

As time goes by, websites and posts come and and go, and so the information on the internet eventually also disappears. Therefore I would like to publish the transcripts of some interesting and well written articles which I have been involved in about Huaraches before they also inevitably are taken down one day.

The original articles are also linked since they also include interesting photos from Huarache Blog.

The History And Craft Of Huaraches

BY DEREK GUY April 18, 2016

Ever since Jesse wrote about huaraches three years ago, I’ve been wanting a pair for summer. The Mexican woven sandal first became popular in the US during the 1960s, when they were part of the uniform of hippies and surfers in California. The Beach Boys even sung about them in their 1964 hit “Surfin’ USA.”

The reasons for their appeal are obvious: cheap, breathable, and more versatile than flip-flops, they go well with the kind of clothes you want to wear when it’s scorching hot (e.g. stuff from Dana Lee, trim shorts, and yes – vacation shirts). Unfortunately, finding an authentic pair outside of Mexico can be tough. Companies such as Cole Haan and Hudson sometimes offer their interpretations, but they never look as good as the originals.

One of the best online resources to learn about real, authentic huaraches is Markus Kittner’s blog. He’s an industrial footwear designer who moved to Mexico about six years ago. Since then, he’s fallen in love with the leather sandal and has worked to promote its craft through his site (he even maintains a working directory of various artisans who make the shoes). I recently chatted with him about the history and craft of huaraches, as well as his new line Úkata+, where he’ll be offering authentic huaraches made from vegetable-tanned leathers.

Tell us about the cultural significance of huaraches. I’ve read they have pre-Columbian origins. Are they mostly produced in Mexico and who mainly wears them?

Huaraches evolved from traditional thong-like footwear in pre-Hispanic Mexico. Since then, they’ve become complex woven Mexican sandals that are mostly worn in agricultural communities. Traditionally speaking, indigenous Mexicans wear the simplest styles, whereas farmhands wear more complex but still rugged designs with nailed-down, recycled-tire soles. On the other hand, wealthy farmers wear more elaborate and finely made huaraches with leather soles, but mostly on weekends or for special occasions. Mexicans who live in the cities will sometimes wear huaraches, but they’re usually factory-made and produced from less-expensive leathers, stitched foam, or PVC/EVA soles. Those are usually relegated for use in the home or at the beach.

Artisans who make traditional huaraches by hand essentially have to compete with mass-produced factory footwear and cheaper imports, which makes profits so low that few can earn a living. And even in remote villages, injection-molded sandals and work boots are slowly replacing huaraches. Although my blog may make it seem like these are everywhere in Mexico, that’s really not the case anymore. Today, maybe only 10% of Mexicans still wear huaraches.

How are huaraches made?

In some ways, making a huarache is like making a sombrero or petate mat, and the tools aren’t too dissimilar from those used to make riding equipment. Every upper consists of a single woven strip of vegetable-tanned leather that’s woven uninterruptedly into the insole, going in and out of each hole until the leather gradually covers the surface of the last. Each weave has a very specific sequence for its design – it’s like having a password that’s so specific, it can’t be improvised.

The soles are sometimes produced from recycled tires, but traditionally, they were made from a combination of leather and hobnails (as they were worn in the countryside on dirt roads). Interestingly, hobnail patterns have occasionally been customized for the wearer, sometimes including his initials so his footprints can be recognized. However, hobnails became problematic on modern tarmac and concrete, not just because of the clacking noise, but also because they don’t provide enough grip.

In any case, the modern use of tire soles have mostly given way to injection-molded ones – partly because modern tires are impregnated with steel cords, which makes them difficult to cut. The disappearance of softer tires and vegetable tanned leathers has made it difficult for many artisans to continue their craft in more traditional ways.

It seems that some huaraches are really intricately woven, while others are a bit more “rustic” and simple. What accounts for the difference? Is it mostly about regional style or something else?

It’s partly about regional style, although regional styles also closely follow economic wealth and the availability of modern shoe making tools. Today, I would say the most intricate huaraches are made in the state of Jalisco, which happens to be the home of tequila. There are a lot of interesting, historical parallels between the production of traditional Mexican agave drinks and huaraches. For example, both were suppressed by the Spanish, who preferred Castilian spirits and European-styled shoes.

In their early history, huaraches were mostly made in areas where Spanish colonizers exerted less control, which tended to be away from cities and in places with large indigenous populations. Over time, affluent and urban Mexicans began associating this footwear with farm workers and peasants, which has created a stigma against the style.

All that has affected demand – the fight against foreign imports and the idea that these are a “poor man’s shoe.” As a result, sales and profit margins have plummeted, which makes designs less ornate that they otherwise could be. There are still a few artisans who make precious huaraches, but since most huarache shops are located in or near traditional markets, they don’t sell well because they’re too expensive for customers with modest means.

Sadly, I think most people are only aware of the inexpensive huaraches that you see hanging out of market stalls. It’s true that commercial huaraches are often simply made, but that’s only because many consumers won’t pay higher prices for a more sophisticated design.

Every once in a while, you see huarache or huarache-styled shoes break into the North American market. Are these usually from small workshops in Mexico or are they from somewhere else?

A lot of it comes from China, partly because they have the capacity for mass-production. There’s one town in Mexico that can produce semi-industrially made huaraches. Interestingly, the US Army placed a large order for huaraches in the 1950s, which turned a lot of sombrero factories in that area into shoe-making plants.

In any case, China still does much bigger numbers. A Mexican factory can maybe do a hundred thousand shoes per year, but only for the simplest of styles. A Chinese factory, on the other hand, can make the same numbers in a few months. So as a matter of pure numbers, you just see more Chinese shoes in terms of exports.

When a US brand asks a Chinese factory to copy a huarache-styled shoe, however, the shoes often don’t come out the same as they would from Mexico. There’s little appreciation for how vegetable leather can hold a woven shape better, how wetting and hammering leather helps shape the huarache to the last, or how certain weaves can minimize the leather’s stretching over time.

Of course, Nike also uses the term huarache for their sneakers, which makes it difficult to promote these more traditionally-made shoes from Mexico. At the same time, I guess it’s also a tribute to an inspiring product and has helped to familiarize people with the name.

There’s a part of me that doesn’t like how a Mexican craft is now being taken abroad, then sold to the US market – with no benefit to the people who originally produced these shoes. On the other hand, when TOMS started making huaraches in Mexico, some Mexicans criticized them for profiting off a national icon, even though they were creating jobs in the country and helping promote this style around the world.

For those who make higher-end huaraches, what defines quality? Is it about the material or the fineness and intricacy of the weaving? Are huaraches with finer weaves always considered better?

A finer weave will make for a softer and more exclusive shoe, but there are other factors as well – the quality of the leather, transitions in the weave pattern, shape of the holes in the soles, etc. Working with quality leather means you can get thinner strips for the uppers (say, four to six millimeters) since they won’t snap during the weaving process.

Traditional leather sandals can sometimes be very stiff. I know some people soak them in water at first and then wear them for a few hours, just to break in the leather. Is that the case with huaraches? What do you recommend for care?

Naturally, it’s going to be a little more uncomfortable when you break in shoes without socks. That’s compared to traditional leather footwear – not the softened up kind you see in more modern styles. That said, the process is easier if you choose shoes that fit properly and have been made well. If the last follows the line of your feet, they won’t fight against you as much.

You should never soak your huaraches to break them in, although some are made with wet leather (the leather on those will shrink once they’re dried and thus fit a bit tighter). I’ve heard some people recommend using WD40 to soften the leather, or paraffin based oils that would otherwise be used on equestrian leather products. Personally, I recommend just wearing the shoes with socks at home until they’re partially broken in (if you have to break them in at all).

Some people clean their huaraches by rubbing a lemon slice over a stained area. I prefer not to wash my huaraches too much, as that can affect the shape. Neutral shoe polish can help extend the life of the leather though, as it conditions the leather and helps keep it supple. In the case of light-colored huaraches, it can also prevent stains.

Tell us about your line, Úkata+. Where do you source your materials and how do you find your makers? Who designs the styles?

Úkata+ is essentially an extension of my blog. It’s a way for me to help promote and preserve this craft. “Úkata” means “crafts” in the indigenous Purepecha language of central Mexico. The plus sign stands for the additional benefits I’m trying to create, including for the environment and makers.

For example, the vegetable-tanned leathers and natural crepe rubbers are much friendlier for the environment. The production process can also be innovated and made more comfortable for the makers, and creating high-end huaraches means that more profits will go back to the huaracheros (the people who make these shoes) to sustain their growth and passion.

Naturally I also want to create the best huaraches, but I also want to elevate the perception of this craft by introducing better last shapes, materials, and finishes. It’s an interesting challenge because many of the traditional skills from the golden age of huarache-making have disappeared and need to be relearned.

I design all my own shoes, although for now they are mostly variants of traditional styles to keep things simple for the makers (especially when it comes to developing new weaves). I also design the new last shapes and make the initial samples. The work takes a lot of time, but it gives me a better understanding of how huaraches are created, which in turn helps me produce a better product.

Many thanks for your time, Markus!

For those interested, Markus will be putting his Úkata shoes into production next month. Find models such as the Oaxaca and Jalisco at his webstore sometime at the end of May/ beginning of June. To keep up with his work, you can also follow him on his blog, Tumblr, and Facebook accounts.

Vogue Mexico Article Including Huarache Blog

As time goes by, websites and posts come and go, and so the information on the internet also disappears. Therefore I would like to publish the transcripts of some interesting and well written articles which I have been involved in about Huaraches before they also inevitably are taken down one day.

The original articles are also linked since they also include interesting photos from Huarache Blog.

https://www.vogue.mx/moda/articulo/huaraches-mexicanos-que-son-cual-es-el-significado-y-la-historia-de-este-zapato

El huarache, un zapato extraordinario que trasciende tendencias y fronteras

POR SOFÍA AGOSTINI 2 de septiembre de 2020

El huarache es una sandalia de cuero plana que se caracteriza principalmente por un trabajo de trenzado único en el mundo, hecho a partir de una sola tira de cuero, larguísima, que sujeta el pie con complicados y hermosos tejidos sobre una suela, a veces de cuero, a veces de llanta de carro. Hay poca bibliografía sobre el origen del huarache, pero se cree que este es una evolución del calzado prehispánico que se le ponía a los muertos, para que pudieran trascender en los diferentes niveles del Mictlán.

Aún se consiguen huaracherías por todo el país, que con dificultad mantienen viva una tradición tan mexicana como venerar a María Félix. La palabra viene de un vocablo tarasco, esta es de las pocas lenguas, como el vasco, cuyo origen es desconocido, explica Walther Boelsterly, director del Museo de Arte Popular de México. ‘La palabra huarache es muy bonita, muy armónica y yo creo que por eso también ha trascendido fronteras, y está entre las piezas más populares de indumentaria mexicana.’

La imagen de los huaraches sencillos y modestos que se venden en los mercados de México y recorren a pie sus campos es la más popular, y probablemente por eso no ocupa un puesto en el olimpo de las obras del arte popular como el rebozo y el huipil. Quizás porque pocos conocen los huaraches que aún se hacen por pedido en Michoacán y Jalisco. Probablemente porque pocos conocen los negros para velorios con tejidos tan finos que no se ve la piel, que son tan complicados y tan caros que es imposible venderlos en las tiendas.

El improbable embajador del huarache en el mundo

Según Markus Kittner, diseñador industrial de zapatos y un estudioso apasionado del huarache, la manera correcta de comprar un huarache es a la medida, porque las hormas de estos zapatos no son estándar, y varían según el artesano.

Los estilos de huarache también varían de estado a estado, los más ejemplares se realizan en los estados del oeste central de México, específicamente Jalisco y Michoacán, ‘por sus tradiciones de talabartería fina y su cercanía a Guadalajara y León, donde hacen zapatos. También hay bien hechos en Yalalag, Oaxaca’, explica Kittner a Vogue con conocimiento de causa.

Kittner es un diseñador de zapatos italiano residenciado en Rusia, con una pasión singular por el huarache. Su misión es preservar el legado de los maestros huaracheros y crear conciencia sobre el valor cultural, histórico y estético que tiene este arte, porque para él sí es un arte, a través de la difusión de información sobre la sandalia, primero a través de su nutrido blog, huaracheblog.wordpress.com, y ahora a través de su cuenta de Instagram, con la que espera llegarle a más personas.

Su historia parece la de un héroe griego, con los retos, las tentaciones, las revelaciones y los encuentros cercanos con la muerte. Cuando trabajaba en la sede de Nike, cerca de Portland, Oregon, en 2009 supo de la existencia del huarache por una vecina, que era mexicana. Cuando este se interesó en ellos, el padre de la vecina le dijo que podía visitar auténticas fábricas de huaraches en Guadalajara, entonces decidió dejar su trabajo en Nike e irse a Guadalajara en autobús -¡desde Portland!-, para llegar más lento a su destino e ir asimilando cómo cambiaba el panorama con el pasar de las horas, y así estudiar la producción de huaraches desde cerca.

Al llegar a Guadalajara no tardó mucho en aprender que los huaraches que encontraba en los mercados populares no eran necesariamente los ejemplares más especiales. Varias personas lo mandaron a Sahuayo, poblado donde pasaría años estudiando y trabajando el arte del huarache. El poblado con el monopolio de los huaraches para exportación.

‘Creo que [mi amor por el huarache viene de] la cultura de la artesanía’, explica Kittner, ‘Con los huaraches vi una forma de hacer zapatos que era más auténtica y natural. Esta tradición te permite compararlos con la cocina de tu abuela, eso es algo que pensé que faltaba en el diseño de zapatos. No solo faltaba la cocina de tu abuela en la industria del calzado, sino que estaba desapareciendo porque nadie los estaba comprando. De hecho hace como siete años diría que el 30% de las personas que conocí estaban a punto de cerrar su taller’.

Según Kittner, muchas de las pieles vienen ahora de Estados Unidos y son curtidas en México, porque las vacas allá son más grandes y permiten tiras de cuero más largas con las que se hace el trenzado de los zapatos, ‘pero hay de todo’, cuenta Kittner. Según él se siguen haciendo huaraches con piel de res mexicana.

Existen varios niveles de producción, está el taller grande con modelo capitalista, el taller artesanal y el taller del maestro artesano. La diferencia se puede ver desde cuán intrincado es el diseño hasta cómo tiñen el cuero, si un taller grande o artesanal deja la piel tiñéndose por 1-3 semanas, un maestro artesano que él conoció dejaba sus pieles tiñéndose por 4 meses, ‘cuando sostuve uno de sus huaraches en las manos parecía un animal vivo, el color y el tratamiento de la piel eran lo más brillante que he visto en un zapato’, y Markus ha sostenido zapatos. Pero el arquetipo del hombre usando huarache es uno humilde, del campo, y Kittner cree que por eso no se le da al huarache el reconocimiento que merece.

Cuando la estadía de Markus de cuatro años en México investigando sobre el arte de los huaraches estaba por terminar, contactó a Walther Boelsterly, director del Museo de Arte Popular, para dedicarle una exposición al zapato. Kittner le compró huaraches a algunos de los mejores maestros huaracheros que conoció y los puso al servicio del museo, junto a sus retratos e historias en la exposición titulada ‘El Huarache Fino – Un Oficio’.

Ernesto Aguillar fue uno de los artesanos cuyo trabajo estuvo en exhibición. Aguillar es contador de profesión, pero no le gustó el ambiente de la oficina, por lo que su abuela le dio tres pieles y le enseñó a hacer huaraches, y a eso se dedicó. Ser contador es una buena profesión para un huarachero, Kittner compara el oficio de hacer huaraches con el de alguien que escribe códigos, si te equivocas en una cuenta se pierde todo el trabajo. ‘El diseño del corte picado en forma de espiral de Ernesto me dejó alucinando cuando lo vi por primera vez hace seis años’, escribió Kittner en la leyenda del Museo de Arte Popular. ‘No tuvo miedo de mostrarme la plantilla de cartolina que usaba para cortar cada una de las mil ranuras pequeñas, porque me dijo con orgullo que, a pesar de tenerla, sería casi imposible que alguien copiara su diseño de tejido en espiral’.

En esta época Ernesto comenzó a mostrar síntomas de Parkinson, lo que comprometería su futuro como huarachero, recuerda Kittner. ‘A menudo hablamos extensamente acerca de escribir un libro juntos, tal vez un manual de huarache para sus estilos ya que pronto él no podría hacerlos, pero yo siempre estaba ocupado, o viviendo demasiado lejos para comprometerme, una parte de mí siente que le fallé’

El huarache fuera de México

En ‘Ella se viste: La pachuca, la resistencia chicana y la política de la representación’, un artículo publicado en la revista académica Reviews in American History, Lisa Ramos describe cómo la pachuca, la joven mujer mexicano americana que usaba un traje zoot o tacuche y cultivó una imagen de mujer dura en la era de la Segunda Guerra Mundial en Estados Unidos, usó su distintivo vestuario para diferenciarse de otros grupos de mujeres, y este podía consistir en: ‘un cárdigan o un suéter con cuello en V y un abrigo largo; una falda plisada hasta la rodilla; medias de red o calcetines; y tacones de plataforma, zapatos de sillín o sandalias huarache’.

‘Al usar un traje de zoot, la pachuca llamó la atención sobre su cuerpo como sitio de múltiples concursos. Ella no era una chica recatada y obediente, sino una joven audaz y rebelde que se negó a aceptar que era inferior debido a su origen étnico’, desarrolla Catherine S. Ramírez en el epílogo del artículo de Ramos. La pachuca ofrecía una imagen masculinizada y agresiva que contrastaba particularmente con la de la mujer estadounidense, delicada y maternal, inofensiva y sumisa, que esperaba la llegada de su esposo de la guerra.

Si los norteamericanos no prestaron atención al zapato de la pachuca a mediados del siglo veinte, esta no sería la última vez que tendrían un encuentro cercano con el huarache. En la década de los sesentas, cuando grupos de hippies pusieron sus ojos en los hongos mexicanos, se llevaron de sus viajes no solo experiencias psicodélicas, sino huaraches en los pies también, y así comenzaría la reputación del huarache como el zapato de los bohemios, y no de los hombres del campo ni de las pachucas trasgresoras.

Esto lo cuenta Eric Zolov en su libro ‘Elvis refrito: El auge de la contracultura mexicana’. La cultura hippy introdujo en México una nueva imagen de modernidad que era una mezcla de lo moderno y lo folclórico. Así cuando los jóvenes mexicanos copiaron los estilos modernos de música y moda de Estados Unidos y Europa, sin saberlo, también retomaron elementos de su propia cultura. Al copiar a los indígenas mexicanos, los hippies revalorizaron la cultura indígena a los ojos de la juventud mexicana, que también comenzó a usar huaraches.

La popularidad del zapato ya superó la connotación hippy y se ha convertido en un objeto del mundo. Corredores tarahumara, como María Lorena Ramírez, lo convirtieron en un zapato de correr, Meghan Markle lo hizo trendy en un viaje de estado como duquesa de Sussex, marcas masivas lo hicieron ‘mainstream’, primero con el diseño del zapato de Nike bautizado con su nombre en 1996 y luego con la infinidad de marcas de moda rápida y de lujo que han imitado su trenzado, a pesar de que muchas veces no es acreditado por su nombre u origen.

Aunque marcas como Target, Walmart y Urban Outfitters tienen sandalias planas de cuero llamadas huarache, y dicen ser ‘importadas’, pero no de dónde, otras como ASOS emulan el estilo de la clásica sandalia mexicana sin mención a sus orígenes o su nombre. Madewell, por el contrario, describe su modelo ‘Chamula Sayulita Ankle-Wrap Sandals’ como ‘elaboradas por el mago del diseño Yuki Matsuda del colectivo de la Meg Company, [la marca] Chamula se especializa en [la confección de] huaraches tejidos a mano hechos por artesanos mexicanos, como estas sandalias con tobillo en cuero orgánico blanco curtido de vegetales’.

‘Yo quería que los huaraches se hicieran populares en Estados Unidos para que se pusieran de moda en México’ cuenta Kittner sobre su intento de hacer una marca de huaraches de lujo con códigos de zapatos europeos, para dar a conocer el arte de la huarachería en el exterior. ‘Pensé que los estadounidenses y europeos valorarían el carácter sano, los orígenes elaborados y la complejidad sofisticada de los tejidos del huarache’. Si esto sucederá, con huaraches auténticos y no de imitación, solo el tiempo lo dirá. Mientras tanto, si vives en México, hazte un huarache a la medida con un maestro huarachero, según Walther Boelsterly te pueden durar toda la vida, los suyos tienen 25 años y están intactos. Hazlo por Markus, hazlo por maestros huaracheros como Ernesto Aguillar o hazlo por Meghan Markle que se puso unos hace poco y se le veían estupendos. Hazlo por quién tú quieras, pero hazlo. El huarache es un zapato extraordinario del cual hay que estar orgullosos y uno que no se puede dejar morir.