Huarache (shoe)

The name "huarache" is derived from the Purépecha language term kwarachi, and directly translates into English as sandal.

[citation needed] Early forms have been found in and traced to the countryside farming communities of Jalisco, Michoacan, Guanajuato and Yucatan.

Originally of all-leather construction, the thong structure around the main foot is still traditionally made with hand-woven braided leather straps.

Skeeter Phelan wears a pair of the shoes, which her traditionalist Southern mother hates, in the Kathryn Stockett novel The Help.

In the Seinfeld series 8 episode "The Millennium" Elaine Benes attempts to buy a pair of Huaraches from an uninterested shop owner.

There are still vendors that focus on keeping the materials authentic, import from Mexico, and strive to pay their Mexican workers living wages, giving them more opportunities for expanding their business.