The Museo del Traje in Madrid and the Spanish Footwear Industry Federation (FICE) present “Fashion at Your Feet,” an exhibition that establishes a dialogue between the history of Spanish clothing and contemporary design. The exhibition will be open from October 29, 2026, to January 31, 2027, and will bring together 40 Spanish footwear companies, as well as artisans and artists.
Curated by Javier Echeverría Sola and Juan Gutiérrez, the exhibition will feature 35 display cases from the Museo del Traje’s permanent collection. In these cases, new footwear designs will be displayed alongside the historical pieces that inspired them, tracing a journey that spans from the 18th century to the present day.
The project takes as its starting point the aesthetic and artisanal codes present in the museum’s collection. Colors, shapes, embroidery, materials, and techniques are translated into the language of footwear without seeking a literal reproduction. Each brand offers its own interpretation, transforming an ornamental detail, a texture, or a silhouette into the inspiration for a new piece.
Among the dialogues featured is Mariano Fortuny y Madrazo’s Delphos dress, made of pleated silk around 1909, which finds a contemporary interpretation in a sandal by Pons Quintana crafted from gray braided leather and decorated with terracotta-colored ceramic beads.
Also featured in the exhibition is a 1960 dress by Pedro Rodríguez, made of ivory satin and embellished with chenille embroidery depicting oriental-inspired plant and floral motifs. Lola Cruz reinterprets this ornamentation in a cream-colored satin mule that reproduces the original embroidery on its sides.
The exhibition also incorporates references to some of the most recognizable styles of 20th-century Spanish fashion. A 1967 dress by Paco Rabanne, constructed using aluminum plates, rings, and convex steel circles, inspires a sculptural sandal by Monami and Teresa de la Pisa, made of metal and leather and finished with metal hemispheres.
Another pairing connects a late-19th-century bullfighter’s costume embroidered in silver with a green silk stiletto designed by Magrit and Francisco Carrera Iglesias “Paquili,” whose hand-embroidered sterling silver work revives traditional bullfighting motifs.
The 40 participating brands, selected through an open call and a creative competition organised by FICE, represent different production regions across Spain. Among them are Castañer, Chie Mihara, Lodi, Lola Cruz, Lottusse, Magnanni, Magrit, Martinelli, Mascaró, Pedro García, Pons Quintana, Pretty Ballerinas, RIA Menorca, Toni Pons and Unisa, amongst others.
Alongside the footwear brands, the exhibition features artisans and artists specialising in disciplines such as embroidery, lace-making, jewellery, silk flowers, leatherwork and sculpture. This combination brings together traditional craft techniques with the design and production processes of the contemporary industry.
Following the exhibition Cristóbal Balenciaga | Shoes from Spain Tribute, held in Milan in 2025, the Museo del Traje and FICE are now bringing this dialogue to Madrid with a broader perspective on the evolution of Spanish fashion. ‘Fashion at Your Feet’ positions footwear as part of the narrative of clothing and as an expression of the aesthetic, technical and cultural changes that have defined each era.
