Adelante Granada Boot Review | A Women’s Bootie That’ll Last

In a world of fast fashion shoes, it can be hard to discern the difference between what’s truly timeless and what’s just the latest fad.

Fast fashion trends can be great for folks on a budget or just getting to know their style. But if you’re looking for time-tested style and quality, then nothing beats artisan-made boots.

Enter Adelante, who is combining made-to-order footwear with eco-friendly practices and speedy delivery times like never before.

Editor’s Note: Unfortunately, Adelante is no longer in business.

Adelante Granada Pros & Cons

If you’ve got somewhere to be, here are our quick pros and cons of this marvelous piece of footwear.

Pros

• Super-comfy memory foam insoles
• Durable and repairable Goodyear welt construction
• Huge range of widths to fit any feet
• Sustainably produced leather
• Hand-made to order
• Timeless style
• Ethical manufacturing (more on that later)

Cons

• A little pricey
• Made-to-order means a short wait for your boots to be made; but mine arrived in just two weeks.
• Stiffer than your average, non-resoleable boot

How Adelante Makes The Granada

• Craftspeople make double the local wage
• Adelante uses United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals to shape practices
• Publishes annual impact report on how they’re benefitting their community

Adelante was founded on the idea that artisan-made work should be appreciated globally and valued in a way that supports the lives of the craftspeople who make it. Each pair of Adelante boots is made-to-order and handcrafted by skilled shoemakers in the brand’s Guatemala workshop. Happily, a made-to-order business model reduces a company’s need for storage space, reducing their carbon footprint and lowering the cost all at once.

My particular pair of Granada boots were handmade by craftsperson Jairo Garcia.

How do I know who made my shoes? Each Adelante boot comes with a handy RFID chip embedded in the leather tag. The chip directs you to a webpage featuring a video message directly from the person who made your shoes. I really appreciated this personal aspect and found it to be a beautiful way of sharing the message and work of craftspeople with customers around the world. Plus, it was just cool seeing how my boots were made!

This connection to the maker of my Granada boots is a great touch, but the true value of Adelante’s boots lies in the incredible quality and comfort of the make.

The Granada boots are made with high-quality leather which will only improve as it ages. The soles of Adelante’s Granada boots are attached using Goodyear welt construction, which increases longevity, durability, and water resistance. One design detail I absolutely love is the hand-whittled stacked heel—it’s set at a beautiful angle and has exactly the right amount of height for a practical pair of fashion boots. 

[Further reading: How a Boot Business in Guatemala Became a Humanitarian Endeavor]

Adelante’s Granada Boot Design

• Ankle height bootie
• Laceless, with a zipper for ease of removing
• 2-inch stacked leather heel

Adelante’s Granada boot is a classic bootie with a rounded toe and the aforementioned 2” stacked tapered heel. The ultra-short ankle height is slightly offset, with the front of the boot being taller than the back. The design is sleek, simple, and wonderfully versatile.

As I said before, this is simply a timeless bootie.

Why is timeless style better than trends? Because classic style means you get more bang for your buck. I wear my Granada boots with denim, dresses, and my favorite pair of linen trousers. When your shoes are endlessly stylish and versatile, you’re just more likely to wear them more often, and that’s exactly what I’ve been doing! 

On top of being beautiful, Adelante’s Granada boots are also comfortable. The first time I slipped them on I already knew that I would be able to walk all over town in the Granada boots with no problem at all. They have a memory foam insole, for goodness’ sake! Never have my feet ever felt so supported and cared for by a shoe.

Granada Adelante Sizing

• 7 widths and 21 sizes available
• Order your usual size

Adelante doesn’t just support your feet with comfort, they also support inclusive and accessible sizing for different widths. Because Adelante custom makes each pair of shoes to order, they are able to offer a range of different width sizes for their customers. I have standard-width feet so I ordered the size “B” in width. I was honestly amazed to be asked for a width size as this is not something I’ve experienced when purchasing shoes in the past!

Adelante does a great job with the sizing of their boots. The Granada boots look slim and sleek and I wasn’t sure if mine were going to fit when I first took them out of the box — but I needn’t have worried. The design leaves generous room for the foot while still hugging it in all the right spots to keep your foot firmly in place. The ankle design is not too tight, and the toe box feels just right. Regardless of what socks I’m wearing, the Granada boots fit my size 8 feet perfectly. 

The comfort level of Adelante’s Grenada boots is what I love most about them. They don’t slip, they don’t rub, and they don’t pinch. With the ultra-cushioned foam insole, they don’t even feel like a heeled boot. I have walked for hours in my Granada boots, and have had exactly zero issues with blisters or pain!

[Further reading: The 10 Best Women’s Boots]

Adelante Granada Leather

• Made in one of North America’s most sustainable tanneries
• Available in 7 leathers

Even the leather in the Granada boots is comfortable. It’s soft and buttery, yet durable. The leather in my Granada boots didn’t need breaking in at all, and it feels like it will withstand wear for many years. I love the way the caramel leather gives these boots a sort of classic rustic look— but there are lots of different colorways to choose from, including beautiful black nubuck and some more fun options like denim and pomegranate!

My Granada boots in caramel are made from full-grain leather, which is sanded down slightly to achieve a smoother texture that still retains the grain from the hide. The insoles are made from super soft calfskin to limit break in that usually accompanies thick, vegetable tanned leather insoles.

Adelante sources all of their leathers from Lefarc Tannery, which is known as the most sustainable leather tannery in the Americas. Lefarc works to protect the environment by reducing water usage by up to 50%, carefully treating wastewater, repurposing other waste products, and harnessing solar power.

Lefarc also uses less toxic tanning methods than your traditional chrome-tanned leather. Traditional chrome tanning uses heavy metals that can pollute waterways and make workers sick, so it’s great to see Lefarc and brands like Adelante opting for healthier and more eco-friendly alternatives.

I appreciate the leather choice that Adelante made for the Granada boots because it really adds to the timelessness of the overall style. These boots can become rough and rustic if you want them to, but you can also keep them looking sleek and smooth for years to come. All it takes is some care! 

The brand recommends conditioning and polishing your boots on a yearly basis while using a leather cleaner or white vinegar to help scrub away stains from salt and oils. If you live in a place that experiences a lot of weather, you can also waterproof your boots with a natural sealant.

Adelante Granada Sole & Construction

• Resoleable and water resistant Goodyear welt construction
• Memory foam insole for comfort and easy break in

Finally, I get to talk about my favorite part of these boots! The Adelante Granada boots are some of the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn, and it’s all because of the sole and construction.

The folks over at Adelante are geniuses for slipping a memory foam insole into their boots. My over-30 knees and hips really thank them for that! In all seriousness, the Granada boots are ridiculously comfortable, especially for a shoe with a heel on it. 

In addition to having a high-density memory foam insole, Adelante’s Granada boots have a rubber outsole that improves weather resistance, durability, and comfort. The outsole is attached to the upper shoe with Goodyear welt construction. This means that instead of gluing or “cementing” the shoe together, the different parts are stitched to a middle piece of leather called a welt. 

You can see the stitches going around the outside of the shoe, except around the heel. Adelante opted not to welt around the heel in order to keep the slim and elegant silhouette of the design intact! This is called a 270-degree Goodyear welt and it’s very common, even among chunky men’s boots like Red Wing’s Iron Ranger. It doesn’t practically affect the durability or water resistance, people just tend to prefer a sleeker heel.

Why is Goodyear welt construction so great? It means that your shoe will be completely resoleable and repairable for many years to come. It also means that your shoes are watertight and more durable overall. I love boots with Goodyear welt construction because I know that I can wear them heavily without worrying about ruining them. It also means that I save money over time by simply repairing and resoling my shoes instead of buying a completely new pair. This is exactly what I want when I’m spending a little more money on a pair of timeless leather boots!

One more piece of the Granada boot’s construction that I can’t miss is the beautiful stacked leather heel. Each heel is hand-whittled by the craftsperson to achieve the perfect angle and timeless design. In addition to providing a sturdy base for the shoe, the stacked leather also lends a gorgeous natural texture to the shoe’s overall style. 

Adelante Granada Price

• $350

The Granada boots retail for $350. I know it’s a high-ticket price, but I swear these boots are worth it. Keep in mind that all of Adelante’s boots are made-to-order, so your pair only comes into existence after you’ve placed your order. But unlike a lot of brands that make you wait months for your MTO boots, Adelante’s usually arrive in just a couple of weeks.

Between the timeless style, incredible comfort, durability, and repairability, I can confidently say that you’re going to get good use out of your investment. 

As someone who greatly appreciates timeless and handmade style, I can’t recommend Adelante’s Granada boots enough. They’re a wardrobe classic that will last and last, and I absolutely love that!