Shopping Like 60 Years Ago: The Esparteria C'an Toni Blancos in Inca Preserves Mallorcan Craftsmanship

Shopping like 60 years ago: The Esparteria C'an Toni Blancos in Inca preserves Mallorcan craftsmanship

One shop, three floors, countless stories — and a stitch that still smells of handiwork

On a cool December morning, strolling through Inca with the sun low over the roofs, you first hear the clatter of wood and the soft metallic ring of a shop bell. Right there, not far from the market and the old cobbles of the old town, lies the Esparteria C'an Toni Blancos. The shop was founded in 1940 by Maria Martínez and Andreu Ramis and celebrated its 85th anniversary in 2025. When you open the door, you immediately breathe in that peculiar mix of dried grass, leather and work — a scent that has become rarer on the island.

The house does not feel like a museum, but like a business that has adapted to change without cutting off its roots. Three display floors are lovingly arranged; three sales counters structure the space where families buy shoes, restaurateurs collect special models and tourists pick up a pair of classic espadrilles. Toni, who joined the business as a teenager and later expanded the wholesale side, set the current premises in motion in 1989. Today the couple who run the shop work with an eye toward handing it over to the third generation.

On the shelves are espadrilles in every size, handmade sandals, sturdy boots, shoes for sensitive feet and special models for hotels and restaurants. Basketry and woven goods also dominate: traditional Mallorcan baskets, chairs with reed seats, handcrafted wooden stair treads and even furniture like tables with integrated heaters — small things you don't find on every corner. If a seat is broken, people bring the chair by: traditional chair seating is part of everyday life here, as are bespoke pieces for private customers and businesses.

One scene repeats itself often here: longtime locals sit on the low bench in front of the shop, discussing the latest market prices, while a young woman in flip-flops tests whether the espadrilles are comfortable. Children hold up a bent little basket, and behind a counter a craftsman, with practiced movement, pulls new reed through a chair frame. That way craft remains visible and useful — not mere folklore.

This becomes especially noticeable during Dijous Bo in Inca: Market, Music and the Return of the Boats: the façade is regularly transformed into a small open-air exhibition showcasing techniques and products. At the 2024 edition more than 200,000 people visited the fair — a scale also reported in Dijous Bo in Inca: Eight kilometres of market, Ensaimada and rural warmth; many stopped at the esparteria's stand and listened to explanations about weaving and shoe making. For the island that means more than turnover: it is living proof that traditional arts are still in demand.

Why is that good for Mallorca? Such shops keep knowledge on the island, create work beyond large hotel chains and supply materials and repairs for the hospitality sector, which too often relies on disposable solutions, as seen at Two Autumn Moods: Porreres and Inca on the Last October Weekend. At the same time they are a point of contact for visitors looking for genuine handmade products — and for locals who prefer something repaired rather than replaced.

My tip if you visit: talk to the people behind the counter, ask them to show you how a sole is made or how a chair is re-seated. Don’t just buy souvenir espadrilles; consider commissioning a repair — it extends an item's life more than any discount. And if you run a business: ask about special shoes for your staff — the quality pays off.

In the end there is a small, unspectacular promise: as long as stitching, weaving and repairing continue here, a part of Mallorca remains tangible. That is more than nostalgia — it is everyday life worth preserving. If you are in Inca, put the Esparteria C'an Toni Blancos on your list. A few minutes, a few questions and maybe a pair of handmade shoes later, you leave with a piece of island history.