Yanko

The Spanish brand Yanko, based in the city of Inca in the middle of Mallorca, is a very well-renowned maker of Goodyear welted men’s shoes. We have a wide range of models on different lasts. Here you’ll find details like beveled waist and closed channel soles (where you hide the sole stitch for aesthetic and practical purposes) which you normally only find on more expensive shoes.

Yanko was one of the largest makers of Goodyear welted shoes in the world back in the 90's, producing over a million pairs of shoes a year. They are much smaller today, but all the knowledge and experience is still with them, making some really great shoes at an impressive price tag. Here you find praised, popular lasts like 915 (the original Majorcan soft chiseled last) and 962.

Are Yanko shoes good value for money?

Yanko shoes are considered by many to offer a lot of bang for the buck. Both the level of materials and the finish are high class for their price level. Here you have, among other things, leather soles with a closed channel for the sole stitching, and slightly bevelled waists, things that are normally only found on much more expensive brands. They also use leather board heel stiffeners that mould nicely to the foot, and high-quality leather from tanneries like Annonay, Du Puy, Charles F. Stead, Horween and others.

Where is the Yanko factory?

Yanko has its own factory in the town of Inca, in the central part of the Spanish island Mallorca, a classic shoe town that had lots of shoe factories in the middle of the previous century. Now there are far fewer, but Yanko is one of few that still do all steps of shoe manufacturing here. The factory is located in an industrial area on the outskirts of town, an airy space with high ceilings.

What are Belgian loafers, which Yanko makes?

The original Belgian loafers are a design made by Henri Bendel, Belgium, in the 1940s. It's a form of turn shoe, where you sew the parts inside out and then turn the upper leather the right way round. The original model is also characterised by a small leather bow, which sits on the vamp of the shoe. It's a slip-on shoe that is low-cut, and often made in soft comfortable construction, glued or stitched, and it's common with airy unlined uppers.

What characterises the Yanko 915 last?

The Yanko 915 is a last that has had many successors over the years. It's the characteristic "Majorcan chiseled last", which means that it has a soft square toe with slightly marked sides, and then a characteristic chiseled edge on the top of the toe. A last that has since inspired many other shoe manufacturers on Mallorca, as well as shoe brands from other parts of the world. Otherwise, it's a last that is considered relatively true to size, with a normal instep and good arch support.