About the author
Stephen Chapman
Founder of Make Travel Fair and Editor-in-Chief. I never need too much persuasion to up sticks and explore a new part of the world, although getting engaged last year means that it's not necessarily all about me anymore. My personal Blog can be found at stephen-chapman.com.

A Sense Of Place

Camper shoes are native to the island of Majorca, Spain (Mallorca, to Spaniards), about 150 miles off the coast of Barcelona.

They owe their design sensibilty to geographical, cultural and historical heritage. They were born out of the dream of a Majorcan family who have been manufacturing shoes since 1877. Camper are one of the increasingly few shoe manufacturers not based in China where the exploitation of factory workers is commonplace.

born out of the dream of a Majorcan family who have been manufacturing shoes since 1877

“Camper” means “peasant” in the regional language of Catalan. All of their shoes are inspired by farmer footwear and are steeped in island tradition. Lorenzo Fluxá, who started the company in 1975, has always said that it’s better to build a brand around old-fashioned ideas than to try to be fashion-forward. Their design director and all-purpose muse, Guillermo Ferrer says “Some people try to tell us what kind of product to make, we appreciate their opinions, but we usually say, ‘No thank you.’ We make Majorcan shoes. If they don’t want our product, we accept their decision, close the factory, and go home.”

Camper stands for the preservation of rural culture, a culture that is quickly diminishing in these modern times of urbanisation, both the setting and the values that it represents.

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