The Camper story: 4 generations of Mediterranean shoemaking from Mallorca

Before Camper was a global footwear brand with 400 stores on five continents, it was a family workshop in Inca, a small town in the interior of Mallorca, Spain. The Camper brand story spans 149 years, four generations of the Fluxà family, and one persistent idea: shoes should be comfortable, well-made, and rooted in Mediterranean culture. This is the history behind every pair.

1877: Antonio Fluxà brings the machines

The Camper story begins with Antonio Fluxà, a Mallorcan cobbler who traveled to England in 1877 and returned with the island's first shoe-making machines. According to Camper's official history, this moment industrialised what had been a purely artisanal trade in Mallorca. Inca, already a centre of leather working thanks to its tanneries, became the hub of Mallorcan shoe production.

The Fluxà workshop grew over the following decades, supplying shoes to the Spanish market. But the company remained regional — a respected Mallorcan manufacturer, not yet a brand. That transformation took almost a century to arrive.

1975: Lorenzo Fluxà founds Camper

In 1975, Lorenzo Fluxà — Antonio's grandson — launched Camper as a branded shoe company. The name comes from "camper," the Catalan word for "farmer" or "peasant," a deliberate reference to the rural Mallorcan identity that Lorenzo wanted to carry forward. As noted by Wikipedia's Camper entry, the first Camper shoe was the Camaleon — a simple, rustic shoe inspired by the traditional Mallorcan peasant boot, reimagined with a recycled tyre sole.

The timing was significant. Spain was transitioning from Franco-era conservatism to a more open, creative society. Camper's casual, earthy aesthetic — the opposite of formal European footwear — resonated with a generation that wanted to dress differently.

"Walk, Don't Run": a Mediterranean philosophy

The brand's early slogan, "Walk, Don't Run," captured a Mediterranean philosophy: slow down, enjoy the journey, reject the rush. This wasn't just marketing — it became the design principle behind every Camper shoe.

Where other shoe brands chased trends and seasonal reinvention, Camper built slowly. Designs evolved rather than being replaced. The Pelotas, launched in 1995, is still in production three decades later. The Twins, introduced in 1988, remains a signature line. This patience — this willingness to let a good design prove itself over time — is distinctly Mediterranean.

1982–1995: the shoes that defined Camper

Three shoe designs transformed Camper from a Spanish curiosity into a global brand:

Runner (1982) — Camper's first sneaker. Inspired by athletic shoe construction but designed for city walking, the Runner merged sport technology with casual aesthetics. It became Camper's first mass-market hit and remains in the collection today.

Twins (1988) — the mismatched revolution. Each shoe in the pair has a different colour, pattern, or design detail while sharing the same sole and fit. Twins was a radical idea in 1988 — according to Camper's shoe history, it challenged the assumption that shoes must be identical. It became one of the brand's most recognisable lines and a cult favourite among design-conscious buyers.

Pelotas (1995) — the iconic 87-piece leather shoe with a ball-textured sole ("pelotas" means balls in Spanish). Over 11 million pairs have been sold since launch, making it Camper's best-selling design of all time. The 87-piece construction — each piece individually cut and assembled — gives the shoe its characteristic flex and comfort.

These three designs established Camper's identity: shoes that are comfortable first, distinctive second, and fashion-conscious only incidentally. None of them followed a trend. Each created its own category.

Going global: from Barcelona to New York

Camper's international expansion followed a deliberate path:

• 1981: first store outside Mallorca, in Barcelona
• 1992: Paris — Camper's entry into the fashion capital
• 1999: New York — the American market
• 2000s: rapid expansion across Asia, with stores in Tokyo, Shanghai, and Seoul

Today, Camper operates over 400 stores worldwide, according to Wikipedia. But unlike many fashion brands that move production to lower-cost countries as they grow, Camper's design studio remains in Inca, Mallorca — the same town where Antonio Fluxà opened his workshop in 1877. The company produces approximately 500 new designs per season.

The stores themselves became part of the brand identity. Camper hired leading architects and designers for each location, making the retail experience as distinctive as the shoes. No two Camper stores look alike — each one is designed by a different architect to reflect the local context.

Sustainability: B Corp and beyond

In 2022, Camper became B Corp certified, joining a community of companies verified to meet high standards of social and environmental performance. Key sustainability initiatives include:

• Take Back programme: customers can return worn Camper shoes for recycling
• Recycled materials: increasing use of recycled polyester, recycled rubber, and recycled cotton across collections
• TENCEL Lyocell: a plant-based fibre used in shoe linings, produced from sustainably managed forests
• Reduced water usage: ongoing investment in manufacturing processes that use less water

Sustainability at Camper isn't a recent pivot — the Camaleon, the brand's very first shoe from 1975, featured a sole made from recycled tyres. The B Corp certification formalised a direction the company had been moving in for decades.

CamperLab: where fashion meets experiment

CamperLab is Camper's experimental fashion line, positioned at a higher price point and shown at international fashion weeks. Under the creative direction of Achilles Ion Gabriel, CamperLab has appeared at Paris Fashion Week and collaborates with avant-garde designers who push the boundaries of what a shoe can be.

CamperLab pieces are collectors' items more than everyday shoes. They're where Camper tests ideas — unusual materials, deconstructed silhouettes, architectural soles — that may eventually influence the mainline collections. For Cyprus shoppers, CamperLab availability depends on retailer stock, but the standard Camper lines are widely available.

Today: the 4th generation

Camper is now led by the 4th generation of the Fluxà family. Miguel Fluxà serves as company president, continuing the family tradition while overseeing a brand that has grown from a Mallorcan workshop to a global footwear company. The design studio remains in Inca, Mallorca — a deliberate choice that keeps the brand connected to its Mediterranean roots.

The numbers tell the story of reach: 500 designs per season, 400+ stores worldwide, and — on Stylino — 587 products from 4 retailers that ship to Cyprus, with prices ranging from €10 to €220.

Camper in Cyprus: 587 products from 4 retailers

For Cyprus shoppers, Camper is available through Stylino from 4 retailers that ship to Cyprus: Politikos, Spartoo, Mybrand.shoes, and MustShoes. The catalogue covers:

• Men: 171 products from €65 sneakers to €220 premium
• Women: 265 products from €22.57 discounted sandals to €195 premium
• Kids: 60 products from €38.50 shoes to €65 loafers

With 4 retailers offering different pricing, Stylino's comparison tool is particularly useful for Camper — the same model can appear at significantly different prices depending on the retailer and current promotions. Browse the full range on the Camper.

Frequently asked questions

Read next

• Best Camper shoes in Cyprus 2026: Pelotas, Twins, Runner & more for the whole family
• Camper vs Geox: comfort shoe showdown
• Best kids' Camper shoes in Cyprus 2026
• Camper sustainability: B Corp circularity from Mallorca
• CamperLab: how the experimental line hit Paris Fashion Week

Explore Camper on Stylino

All 587 Camper products from 4 retailers are on the Camper. Whether you're drawn to the heritage of the Pelotas, the playfulness of the Twins, or the everyday practicality of the Runner, compare prices with delivery to Cyprus and find your next pair.