Casa Pijaume: 150 years of clogs and espadrilles in the yolk of Girona's egg

GironaIn recent years, many historic businesses in the most central streets of Girona have been gradually closing, swallowed up by the opening of new bars, restaurants, food stalls, souvenir shops or bicycle shops, designed above all to attract tourists. In the middle of La Rambla, one of the long-standing businesses still standing is Casa Pijaume, the oldest shoe store in the entire Girona capital, which celebrates 150 years of history in 2025. Run by brothers Nuri and Vicenç Pijaume, it's the go-to place for city residents looking for veined espadrilles, esparto sandals, abarcas, or highly recommended comfortable footwear. The shop is small and narrow, next to La Rambla overlooking the river, decorated in a practical, classic, and unpretentious style, with shoe boxes on display, stacked to the ceiling on very high shelves, which the two brothers climb with a ladder leaning against the wall.

"There are many types and brands of shoes, but we have always had the concept of selling comfort, with comfortable shoes, slippers, and, in summer, footwear such as esparto espadrilles or abarcas, which are cool and informal footwear, but now also Pijaume. The customers are mainly from Girona, but also from neighbors from all over the area, who have known the store all their lives and sell every change of wardrobe in search of espadrilles and sandals at a good price and in all kinds of colors and prints.

Over the years, as Girona has become an increasingly tourist destination, many foreigners have also stopped by, curious about this traditional footwear, although they are not the majority of the public: "For tourists, esparto grass and hemp-soled espadrilles are an original product and catch their attention; sometimes they come right up to us showing off what they're like," says Nuri Pijaume.

Department stores, Amazon, and the rise of tourism

Casa Pijaume has witnessed firsthand the transformation of the city of Girona at every level. In 1875, when great-grandfather Vicenç Pijaume y Soler opened the doors, there was a Saturday fruit and vegetable market on La Rambla, and from Plaça Catalunya onward, the city was already a wasteland of fields and dirt roads. At that time, clogs and espadrilles were the go-to footwear for everyone. Thousands of pairs were sold each month, and there were long queues at the entrance: "My father used to explain to me that farmers came constantly to buy espadrilles because working with animals and with unpaved streets, they would last them a week," Vicen recalls. "Bags of clogs would arrive and all the slaughterhouse workers would come to get them, until the high plastic boots arrived."

Today, this urban landscape has completely changed: around Casa Pijaume, only a couple of classic shops selling changing clothes, bags and suitcases remain. The rest are bars, ice cream parlors, biker shops and tourist businesses that sell mobile phone cases, bubble tea, strawberries with toppings, salads healthy or souvenirs from the city. "They're products for immediate consumption, traditional stores aren't as successful, and we have no choice but to adapt to the new times. When the department stores appeared, we thought we'd have to close, but that wasn't the case. Now tourism and Amazon have arrived, and they're already a competitor that's beating you down from all sides," and you can't.

Personalized treatment as a differentiating factor

With this paradigm shift, sales have logically declined, but despite everything, Casa Pijaume continues to thrive, remaining true to its same identity: "We're not planning on evolving or making online sales, because what we want is to maintain customer service and advice; we have many clients with Pijaume orthotics. And we deal directly not only with clients but also with brands and suppliers, with whom the owners have had a long-standing relationship of trust: "The factory owners come directly, not a salesperson. We work with brands from Mallorca, Elche and Toni Pons, who is from Girona and we have a very good relationship with us", we went to the first display.

In the 80s, when everything was booming, Casa Pijaume decided to open a second store next to the original, in order to sell more shoes. However, this year, coinciding with their birthday, the two brothers have decided to close it and group all their merchandise in the first store, aware that times have changed and that, when they retire, the Pijaume shoemaking lineage will most likely end, since their children, who have gone on to university, do not plan to continue with the business.