Kino Sandals
At Kino's Sandales you can witness the making of your very own handmade Key West sandal. Cuban immigrants Roberto and Margarita Lopez started their business venture, Kino Sandals, here in 1966. The company's name was Mr. Lopez's childhood nickname when he lived in Cienfuegos, Cuba, about 100 miles south of Havana. Roberto "Kino" Lopez, brought his skill and ambition with him when he fled Cuba one year after Castro's revolution. 
You can watch sandals cut and glued in this traditional sandal factory where the "sandaleros", the old-world sandal makers, work diligently their stations. In the aisles you will see boxes of unfinished sandals as they move through the different stages of manufacturing. The smell of leather permeates the room where you may select from a wide variety of sandals with your particular size, style and color. The popular and durable sandals are all designed by Kino to be versatile and inexpensive. They have been widely imitated, but never duplicated. The fundamental difference is that Kino uses the traditional hand crafted techniques to assemble his sandals. The talent of the craftsmen can not be replaced by a machine. It is this uncommon effort that distinguishes a Kino sandal from all the rest.
