From "carapijos" to "guarritos", know the different terms for desert boots.

Did you know that there are more than 20 names for desert boots? Today we will tell you why this is so, and it has to do with the geographical area of Spain that you are in.

Nowadays, when we mention the terms “pisacacas” or “pisamierdas”, although they are the most common, not everyone knows what we are referring to. This is not so much due to the fact of not knowing what type of footwear this is, but rather because of the name we give them or how we describe them.

Desert boots are a type of footwear that originated in the province of Zaragoza (Spain) several centuries ago, possibly since the 8th century with the first inhabitants of Muslim origin. These boots were made by hand using tanned leather for both the exterior of the boot and the sole, and were sewn by hand. Their design was simple and practical, which is evidenced in historical records dating back to 1606, where the manufacture of these boots is mentioned.

According to another theory, a group of wandering Jews stayed in the same valley, in Brea de Aragón (Spain), and it was they who began to make the first safari boots as we know them today. However, with the conquest of the Catholic Monarchs and the subsequent expulsion of the Moors in the 17th century, the artisanal manufacture of these boots fell into disuse. Despite this, those under nine years old and over sixty years old were exempt from expulsion, and it was the latter who demonstrated their knowledge of leather and skin tanning to the new settlers who were attracted by the prosperous tanning business. footwear.

It is interesting to see that within the same country, such as Spain, there are different names for this type of boots. The most common is “pisamierdas” or “pisacacas”, but depending on the province or autonomous community of Spain, we can find other names such as the following 

- Carapijos: This term is used in regions such as León or Asturias (Spain) and the origin of this name is not very well known, but it probably emerged from colloquial and regional speech in the area.

- Kung-fu boots: They emerged in the 80s due to the popular Kung-fu fight, represented in series and films of that time, such as the series starring David Carradine, “Kung Fu”, which was also remembered in the film Quentin Tarantino, “Kill Bill.”

- Guarritos or Guarros: They are known by this name in certain areas of Jaén (Spain) due to their tendency to accumulate dust and retain rainwater easily.

- Desert boots: A decade later they were renamed with this term in English-speaking countries, surpassing other popular linguistic interpretations.

Surely there are many more denominations apart from these. Do you know any? If you want to know more about the term “pisamierdas”, you can find it in one of our previous blogs.