Huarache History

The word “Huarache” is derived from the Tarascan language spoken by the Purépecha people of Jalisco. The Purépecha word “Kwarachi” directly translates to “sandal” in English. The origins of this shoe can be traced back to farming communities in Jalisco, Michoacán, Guanajuato, and Yucatán. Mexican farmers invented these shoes as a way to protect their feet when they were outside tending to their crops.

Artisans would weave the leather strips intricately and attach them to a leather sole specifically for farmers to work more efficiently without having to worry about discomfort when walking in the fields. Huaraches move with the wearer’s foot to constantly keep air circulating preventing odor and sweaty feet.

Today, they still are built the same and used as protection for the wearer’s feet just like the farmers. Huaraches have become popular not only as a functional shoe, but as a fashionable piece of Mexican history that’s still worn throughout the U.S and México.