Zapatelas

Handmade products with a social mission

Zapatelas is a brand of handmade baby clothing, fabric toys, and accessories. The project describes itself as a nonprofit enterprise that aims to create social benefits and jobs for people at risk of exclusion through employment-integration workshops. It is connected to Asociación Cosiendo el Paro.

Products

The online catalog includes:

• Baby clothes: shirts, outfits, jackets and sweaters, rompers and overalls, dresses, pants, and soft baby shoes.
• Fabric toys: made with cotton and filled with cleaned natural wool from sheep in Palencia, Spain. The products are described as eco-friendly, inclusive, and educational.
• Accessories: fabric bags, keychains, cleaning cloths, and eyeglass cases.
• Books, including titles associated with Manuela Carmena.
• Special collections: Three Kings gifts, Christmas ornaments, embroidered sheets, and a line called “Proudly Labeled.”

Listed online prices range from €15 for toys, cases, and cleaning-cloth kits to €180 for embroidered sheets. Other examples include Mary Jane-style shoes at €20, a drawstring bag at €35, and a linen-strap romper at €38.

Production and social impact

All products are made in the craft workshop at Calle Valle de Belagua 21, where each collection is patterned, graded, cut, and sewn. The project says profits go toward covering expenses for people supported by Cosiendo el Paro. Products are presented as inclusive and compliant with safety standards.

Madrid shop and hours

The physical shop is on the ground floor of Mercado de La Cebada, Plaza de la Cebada, Madrid, Spain. Hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; and the first Sunday of each month, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Shipping and contact

The online store says orders are dispatched within 24 hours. Shipping starts at €5.10 for packages under 1 kg and reaches €7.50 for orders over 15 kg. International shipping is also available. Phone: 609 024 891. Email: zapatelas@zapatelas.es.

Connection to Manuela Carmena

According to the website, former Madrid mayor Manuela Carmena made the first Zapatelas and created the brand name as part of a nonprofit social project involving workshops in correctional facilities.