Look familiar?
These are Alpargatas.
If you are a TOMS lover, I’m sure you know that Blake Mycoskie is the guy who started the movement that is TOMS Shoes. You probably also know that he was abroad when he came up with the idea to create a company that would sell shoes, 1 for 1 in an effort to supply shoes for impoverished children. BUT did you know WHERE he was when he came up with his brilliant idea?
You guessed it! ARGENTINA!
The TOMS design is designed after the shoes worn by los hombres del campo (men from rural working class areas) in the olden days. Now these Alpargatas are sold at ferias (artisan fairs) and zapaterias (shoe stores) all over Argentina. They are still worn by many in el campo and become a big city trend too! Here you can buy them for about 12-15 US dollars!
Today I went to the Feria de Mataderos in a suburb about 45 minutes away from where I live in bustling Buenos Aires. I was so pumped when I found these shoes and though they aren’t TOMS, they are a really cool piece of Argentine history.
Other pictures from the Feria de Mataderos:
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| Sweeeeet Traditional Dance. Today was the...125th (?) Anniversary of the Feria de Mataderos. |
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| Candied apples with palomitas dulces stuck on. They sell sweet, almost kettle corn like popcorn at the movie theaters too! (I went to see Que pasó ayer? a.k.a. The Hangover 2 last week and tried the popcorn.) |
Oooooo, you better buy some for Mary Margaret too. Love, Mom
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