A Note From The Editor: We are big fans of Pons Avarcas and their sister line, Laro. We firmly believe that they are the perfect summer shoe. In addition to offering you a chance to win up to two pairs of the sandals for yourself (see the giveaway we’re kicking off today over on our Instagram account!) we asked Noelia to share how to best experience the tiny region in northern Spain where the Laro espadrilles are made.

We moved to California from Barcelona in 2004 when my husband, Jose Fuentes, accepted an engineering position in San Diego. Among many packed possessions were a few pairs of Pons Avarcas, which we both grew up wearing. It only took a couple dozen compliments to realize there was an unmet demand for the Mediterranean product in the U.S. market, and that is how our adventure began.

We have since launched a sister line of classic and traditional espadrilles, which are also from our Mediterranean summers growing up in Barcelona. We work exclusively with the company Laro Espadrilles for its timeless, handcrafted artisan methods. Laro Espadrilles is a family run business located in La Rioja (the smallest province in the north of Spain) and is operated by the original founding family who has continued the family tradition generation after generation.

While La Rioja is a region well known for manufacturing artisan espadrilles, it is especially recognized for its world-class acclaimed red wines and rustic farm-to-table gastronomy.