Some brands you can tell in a sentence and others need you to visit them. Naguisa belongs to the second group. And yet the short version works: a couple —she a product designer, he an architect— who in 2012 decided to make jute shoes, by hand, from the Mediterranean shore. The rest is work, patience and many summers.
Who Claudia and Pablo are
Claudia Pérez Polo is a product designer. Pablo Izquierdo López is an architect. Two backgrounds that in another context might seem distant, and that here make immediate sense: one knows how to think the object in relation to the body, the other knows how to think the object in relation to space and structure. Naguisa comes out of that intersection.
In 2012 they founded the brand with a purpose they themselves formulate as: "to bring to life a beautiful shoe that could adapt to every person's foot". That sentence contains their whole programme. Beauty, yes, but at the service of the real foot, not the abstract idea of a shoe. That difference, which looks small on paper, changes everything once you put them on.
The studio is in Sant Just Desvern, on the outskirts of Barcelona. From there they work with that mix of craft and design eye that separates an interesting brand from just another brand. Small, Mediterranean, in no rush.
Why jute
Jute is Naguisa's great material ally. The brand describes it that way, literally, and the word "ally" is worth pausing on. They don't say "jute is our main material" —which would be neutral—, they say ally. Meaning: an accomplice. A material that's on your side.
Jute is a natural, vegetal fibre that comes from the field. It can be braided, stitched, and ages without losing dignity. It imitates nothing. It hides nothing. It does suffer when wet —that's its only demand—, but in exchange it gives you a flexibility and breathability no synthetic sole can match.
On a jute base, Naguisa builds its whole range: espadrilles, ballerinas, sandals, shoes. The shape is familiar —the timeless Mediterranean one— but the work lies in the details. How it's tied. How it closes. How the body of the shoe is proportioned in relation to the sole. That's where the designer and the architect show up, in equal measure.
Handmade production
Naguisa speaks of "handmade production". It's not an advertising word. It means each pair passes through hands that sew, cut, assemble. That the rhythm of production isn't dictated by a machine but by a person, and that when that person finishes a pair, they start on the next one.
This has concrete consequences. Runs are short. Textures are slightly irregular —in the good sense, not as defect—. And the shoe feels alive from day one. There is a tangible difference between industrial footwear and one stitched by hand: the second yields to accommodate your foot without losing shape, the first forces you to adapt to it.
When you put on a pair of Naguisa, that difference shows from the first step. There is no unpleasant "breaking-in" period. The jute is already ready for your foot. All that's left is for your foot to get used to it.
The statement of intent
Few brands make their philosophy this explicit. Naguisa puts it in five chained words:
Honesty in our creations. Nobility in our materials. Utility in every detail. Humanity in the team. Closeness in our relationships.
There's nothing decorative in that list. Each word corresponds to a concrete decision. Honesty translates as not inventing noble materials where there are none. Nobility, as choosing fibres that age well. Utility, as a beautiful shoe also being a comfortable one. Humanity and closeness, in how the brand speaks to its stores and to those who wear it.
At SUNE we notice that closeness every time we deal with them. It's a brand with real people behind it, not an interposed communications department. That, though invisible to the end customer, ends up showing in the product.
The shoe from May to October
In practice, a pair of Naguisa enters the wardrobe and stays all summer. You put them on the first warm day in May —when it's still too much for the cold and not quite sandal season— and they're still there in October. For the market on a Saturday. For a long lunch that goes on. For walking home as the air cools.
They are light. They are comfortable from day one. And they are discreet, in the good sense: they go with anything you already have in the wardrobe without demanding centre stage. That's hard to achieve in a summer shoe, where the temptation to turn up the volume is always close by.
From Barcelona to more than 20 countries
Naguisa started small and has made its way on its own. Today the brand is present in more than 20 countries. That happens for two reasons: because the product survives the journey —it doesn't feel out of place in another context— and because there is a kind of customer, in many cities around the world, who recognises good work straight away.
Paris, Tokyo, New York, Berlin, Stockholm. Naguisa work there the same way they work in Barcelona. That universality is a result of design, not of marketing.
Why we carry them at SUNE
At SUNE we don't carry brands just to carry brands. We choose them because they fit what we are. Naguisa fits on every count: the honest purpose, the noble material, the handmade production, the closeness when we speak with them day to day.
And because there is one fact that matters to us more than any argument: when a customer tries Naguisa for the first time, in a very high proportion she comes back the following summer for another colour. That is how you measure a good brand: the second purchase, made without need for discount or campaign.
How to care for Naguisa
Jute is a natural fibre and asks for three basic gestures. Nothing complicated, nothing new:
- Don't get them wet. Water damages jute. If you're going to the beach, take another pair for wet sand and the shoreline.
- Clean them dry. A soft bristle brush. For specific stains, a barely damp cloth, only on the exact spot.
- Store them aired. In a cloth bag, not in plastic. Plastic traps humidity and jute notices.
With those three gestures they last two or three full summers without trouble. Some customers tell us they're on their fourth.
Where to find them
In our Naguisa selection online you'll find the styles available this season. If you'd like to try them on at leisure, drop by our Passeig de Gràcia stores: we have them on display and we'll help you find your style and your size.
Frequently asked questions
Who founded Naguisa?
Claudia Pérez Polo (product designer) and Pablo Izquierdo López (architect), in 2012.
Where is the brand based?
The Naguisa studio is in Sant Just Desvern, Barcelona.
What material are they made of?
Jute is Naguisa's main material. It is combined with fabrics and finishes that vary from model to model.
Are they handmade?
Yes. The brand works with handmade production.
Do they only make espadrilles?
No. Naguisa designs espadrilles, ballerinas, sandals, shoes, sneakers and ankle boots, as well as clothing, accessories and belts.
Where can they be bought?
Naguisa is present in more than 20 countries. In Spain you'll find them at SUNE, online and at our Passeig de Gràcia stores.