In the factory inAlaior, a pretty little rural town in the east of Menorca, they have been weaving and soling moccasins, boots and pumps with love and skill for 70 years. And not a single worker among the hundred or so employees of the famous factory wears decent shoes! With 180,000 pairs of shoes made per year and exports to some thirty countries, the brand is, by volume and quality of its production, one of the most important in the sector in Spain! Here is the portrait of Pons Quintana in five points.
A singular history
Santiago Pons, himself the son of a shoemaker, founded the Pons Quintana company in 1953, specializing in children's shoes. The production extends then to the female feet, then male, before generating the iconic babucha! The current factory was built in 1968. The production was then modernized. Then it was the turn of French and Italian designers to invent new models. From the 1990s, the brand conquered Spain and then Europe, confirming its decisive place in the sector.
El Trenat, a trademark
How to explain this success? It is undoubtedly the result of a skilful combination of a traditional industry and a resolutely contemporary aesthetic. It is indeed on the ancient technique of manual braiding(trenat in Minorcan) that the founder bet in the 1960s. A winning bet: this craft adapted to the trends and fashions of the moment has allowed Pons Quintana to stand out, to assert its own identity, its roots in tradition, but also its openness to the world. Since 1990, the braided shoe has become a symbol!
A family affair
In addition to this attachment to craftsmanship, the company has always cultivated a deep connection with the notion of land, of territory. The founder always believed in the entrepreneurial capacity of his fellow citizens and conducted his business in such a way as to improve the standard of living of the community and the island. When he died in 2022, the city of Alaior made him one of its illustrious sons and named a street after him. The family is also a cardinal value of the brand's activity: today, the second generation, already supported by the third, runs the factory!
High quality local production
Naturally, the high quality of Pons Quintana shoes is explained first of all by the demanding choice of basic materials, always local. The comfort of wearing the shoes is another essential parameter, as is the style, which is always linked to Menorca, even if only by the colors chosen. Boots, booties, moccasins, men's or women's models, the variety of productions allows everyone to find the right shoe! Some accessories and handbags are also to be mentioned. In short, local products of very good quality!
An international reputation
Pons Quintana has enjoyed a solid international reputation for some thirty years now. Although its headquarters have always been on the island, its vocation extends beyond the borders of Europe, always with Made in Menorca as its standard! In addition to the showroom in the Alaior workshop, the brand has its own stores in Maó, Ciutadella, Madrid (outlet store) and Toledo, not to mention partner stores all over Europe and the Pons Quintana online store (website). When visiting the island of Menorca, do not hesitate to push the door of the Pons Quintana factory: you are there at the source! A showroom allows you to appreciate the latest models and it is also possible to observe the craftsmen at work.
FUTURE INFO
PONS QUINTANA SHOWROOM - More information on the website
Calle Santiago Pons Quintana
120 Alaior - Menorca
Tel: +34 971 371 05
