With more than 159 years of footwear experience, Carmina Shoemakers is forging ahead with the family still at the helm.
Carmina made its first foray into the shoes back in 1866 when Matías Pujadas opened a small workshop in Inca, Majorca, and began crafting tailor-made shoes.
A generation later in 1905, his son Mateo Pujadas followed in his father’s footsteps and opened one of the first factories of Goodyear-stitched shoes in the Balearic Islands. Then, in 1961, the founder’s great-grandson José Albaladejo Pujadas took the company one step further when he set up one of the largest shoe companies in Spain after studying in Florence, Italy. And just in one year later, the brand’s signature Loafer Mod. 1330 model was born.
In 1998, the company opened its first store in Madrid, and now has location in Paris, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, San Francisco and two outposts in New York City. And the footwear firm, which brought in 20 million euros in revenue in 2024, is not done opening stores. By the end of the year, Carmina will debut new locations in London, Tokyo and Luxembourg.
Here, we catch up with Carmina Albaladejo, executive vice president and head of U.S. operations, on working with her family every day, new technology the storied footwear maker is implementing and goals for the business in America.
FN: Carmina Shoemakers has a rich family history. What was your earliest memory of the footwear business?
Carmina Albaladejo: “When I was about 4 years-old, my grandfather would sit me down next to him and would teach me how to draw shoes. I would quickly learn to draw the shape of a shoe in one line, and once I had that down, I had to learn out to cut the leather and patterns. Shoe making was embedded in every single one of us in the family – from the way we do things to the passion we have for the craft – we put a lot of care in to making shoes.”
FN: What’s it like working with family every day?
CA: “We do have our moments when we disagree on things, it’s only natural when you’re running a business. But we know each other too well and we also know what the overall goals are for the company, so we come together in the end. Overall, I feel so lucky to have my family as my colleagues. Everyone has the same mindset, which makes things easier.”
Carmina’s factory in Spain employs around 150 workers.
Courtesy of Carmina Shoemakers
FN: The company continues to operate a factory in Spain. Tell me about the dynamic there.
CA: “We have about 150 factory workers. There are some people there that were working at the factory before I was even born. Their kids are also there working. Many sons of employees join the business, or the husband or wife – it’s a very family-oriented place. And it’s another way we pass down the tradition of shoemaking.
FN: While Carmina prides itself in being a “slow fashion brand,” that doesn’t mean the company isn’t experimenting with new technology. Can you tell me about some new ways you’re doing business?
CA: “We use scanners to map out our custom and bespoke clients’ specific measurements. Normally, for bespoke shoes, you must take between 30 to 40 measuring points when you do it the traditional way. With the scanner, we’re getting a million measuring points, which allows us to see the customer’s foot in front of us, and from there we can create the last. So, while we are rooted in tradition, we are not opposed to implementing something new if it will improve the quality of our product.”
FN: As for your business in the U.S., are you looking to expand your store footprint?
CA: “We have five cities in mind that we would like to expand to. We are not in a rush to grow a huge footprint of stores.”
Inside the Carmina store on 45th Street in NYC.
Courtesy of Carmina Shoemakers
FN: What can we anticipate seeing from Carmina for the rest of 2025?
CA: Right now, we have three openings on the horizon by the end of the year. Everyone is really focused and busy with that. So, the family will most likely have to divide and conquer when it comes to those new locations.”