By Jesús Aguado
Surrounded by friends, family, and clients, the Gallardo López family cut the ribbon for San Miguel Shoes; a tribute to “the lady with the hat” — Martha López, and the accountant with dreams of shoes, Santiago Gallardo. This marks a new stage for this unique store that began as El Botín Rojo more than thirty years ago. Currently it exports “battle shoes” — strong as tanks, soft as gloves — to dozens of countries; and now it includes not only shoes, but hats, belts, and other accessories. The ribbon cutting took place on December 23, on Calle Relox 27.
On that day, guests enjoyed margaritas, wines, select cheeses, and DJ music, fulfilling the promise they made on social networks—to buy and give a pair of shoes this Christmas; this after a fire consumed the company’s warehouse.
The family does not want to dwell on the incident because, if their parents taught them anything, it was to hold their faces up, to be strong, and to continue working. This is to maintain the economy not only of the 86 families that depend on them directly, but to continue to foster the manufacture of shoes for those who come to San Miguel so they can walk the cobbled streets with comfort, with an elegant, light, malleable, “battle shoe,” the most famous sandal in TLC.
