**** Paez is now NIPA, very much the same type of shoe with a different name. I have not yet found out about the new brand but will eventually. Stay tuned! ****
I had read about Paez before and was curious to have a closer look at their shoes, but the tiny store next to Plaça d’en Coll seemed to be closed whenever I passed it. Although a beautiful place I rarely stop here since it is rather touristy. But my way often leads me through this neighborhood so I had plenty of opportunities to sneak a peek from outside – until one day I discovered that actually it was not closed at all.
It was just that Patricio who runs the store has his office on the third floor, so sometimes it takes him a few seconds to get downstairs. But once I opened the door and went inside, the store was packed with people within a few seconds. Paez shoes very much remind me of espadrilles: they are similarly shaped and the upper side is made of linen. However, instead of textile soles (that do not last very long and tend to dissolve at the first sight of rain) theirs is made of rubber and has a leather sole inside. And they come in so many fancy designs and colors that it is really hard to make a choice.
These shoes simply make you happy. Once you step inside, you do not want to take them off again. Ever. They are most lovely to look at, incredibly comfortable, light, and not expensive. Paez was founded by three friends in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Patricio home country. He explained to me the meaning of their slogan ‘Buena onda’. Had I walked in my new shoes before I might have found out myself: Good vibes!
C/ Bossería, 12
07001 Palma de Mallorca
www.paez.la