Chiruca founder dies
12/12/2014
Mr Fontfreda founded Chiruca with his brother, Lluís, in the years following the Spanish Civil War and World War II. They set out to make rubber-soled boots suitable for use in the high mountains of the Pyrenees, close to their home in Catalonia.
Chiruca footwear became popular all over Spain in the 1960s and 1970s, with the name, taken from an affectionate Galician form of their mother’s name, Mercedes, almost becoming synonymous with outdoor activity.
Although the original company closed in the 1990s, the Chiruca brand name was purchased by Calzados Fal, a manufacturer in the famous footwear town of Arnedo in La Rioja, and is still popular today.
Joan Fontfreda had no other connection to Calzados Fal and remained in his home town, Tortellà.
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