Why is there no affordable Spanish-made barefoot footwear?

Barefoot shoes at €100: the missed opportunity for Spain's footwear industry

While minimalist footwear is gaining trinc in Spain —with documented benefits for foot health— the domestic offering seems stuck at prices that double those of imported shoes. A consumer looking for white barefoot shoes finds that the cheap options come from China with extra shipping costs, or pays 100 euros at a local shoe store. The question is inevitable: why is there no affordable Spanish alternative?

The price gap is striking. On Chinese platforms, a pair runs around 7-8 euros, plus 20 in shipping and taxes: about 60 euros in total. In Spanish stores, similar models exceed 100. Brands like SAGUARO —cited as reliable by users— show that quality can be offered at reasonable prices, but their availability in colors and sizes is limited.

Some argue that manufacturing in Spain inevitably makes the product more expensive: labor costs and the lack of scale make it impossible to compete with Asian production. The footwear industry in Alicante, once thriving, has been steadily closing factories. Others, however, see a missed opportunity: if Spanish shoemakers ordered batches from China or redesigned their processes, they could sell at 60-70 euros and capture a growing market. Their failure to do so suggests a less flattering reading: either they have ignored the trend, or they prefer to keep high margins with a reduced catalog.

The irony is that, meanwhile, consumers are voting with their wallets: they buy on AliExpress, where one user claims to have improved his arthritis by using this type of footwear. The domestic industry, however, keeps looking the other way. Who knows how long it will take to react.