Tomeu Salleras, a well-known artisan shoemaker from Porreres, dies.

PorreresTomeu Salleras Lladó, an artisan shoemaker from Porreres, died this Wednesday at the age of 78. He was one of the few artisan shoemakers in Mallorca. He had worked at Calçats Salleras all his life, carrying out a trade he began at the age of 14 in the workshop of his brother, Gabriel Salleras.

Their custom-made products, such as pantaloons, sandals, and ankle boots, are well known throughout the island and beyond. From their discreet workshop on Rector Llompart Street, Calçats Salleras has had clients throughout Mallorca and even nationally and internationally, with clients who valued their handcrafted products.

The family business is one of the nine Emblematic Shops of the Balearic Islands, a designation promoted by the Balearic Government, and is recognized as a "deep-rooted" commercial establishment, which carries out a unique activity, or offers a distinctive and traditional product, service, or trade of the territory.

Tomeu Sabater was also known for being part of the legendary Porreres group of the 1960s, Los Quijotes, of which he was the guitarist. He is the godfather of Porreres City Councilor Pol Salleras.

His workshop gave off a very special magic. Ancestral tools, skins, leather, and other materials formed an order within a chaos of aromas and colors, a disorder that was only apparent in which he moved like an alchemist. Not in vain was it his natural habitat. It was common to see Tomeu, riding his distinctive black Vespino, on his way from the workshop to have coffee at the Can Guillem bar, where he was an active social gathering with his usual table companions.