Entering M. Polo Botos Camperos-Polainas, a traditional leather shoemaker in the old town of Salamanca, is like a charming step back in time.  For generations father and son have tanned leather and hand crafted shoes and boots here.  The walls of the store are lined with shoe making and leather tanning tools; behind the counter rolls of leather and sole cut-outs sit on top of beautiful old wooden cabinets.  Old scales and cash registers and the smell of freshly tanned and cut leather complete the nostalgic experience.

Despite these romantic reminders of old traditions and crafts, the store’s traditional Spanish leather ‘Botos Camperos’ (country boots) are the kind of timeless wardrobe staple that can be incorporated in any modern man’s wardrobe.  They’re never out of style, and having a tailor fitted shoe in high quality leather is one of life’s joys – a pleasure this long line of traditional boot makers put in the reach of the average budget.

The store, identified only by the sign “CVRTIDOS” (which is Curtidos, in English; ‘Tanner’) above it’s door, is in the old part of Salamanca (an 2 hour daytrip from Madrid if you can’t make a dedicated stop) in Calle Melendez. Here are the full details:

M. Polo Botos Camperos-Polainas
923217644
C/Melendez, 27
37002 Salamanca

Salamanca is a beautiful University town and, once you’ve been fitted for your boots, you can wander through the cobbled streets and enjoy the sandstone buildings.

I always like to mix a bit of shopping with my sightseeing so the other fashion highlight of Salamanca you should know about, this time for woman, is my good friend Blanca’s store, named, aptly, ‘Blanca’.  It’s the store the well dressed woman from the region rely on.  If you pass it, it’s well worth dropping in.