Camper opens its archive to tell a 50-year story of experimentation, avant-garde and ideas

Mallorcan footwear brand Camper yesterday presented The Walking Society. Now More Than Ever!, a 452-page volume published by Swiss publisher Lars Müller Publishers, marking the culmination of its 50th anniversary celebrations.

The presentation took place at an intimate gathering at La Fábrica in Madrid, centred around a conversation led by Ana Garriga. Participants included Miguel Fluxà, chief executive officer of Camper and fourth generation of the founding family; Gloria Rodríguez, current head of the Camper Foundation and long associated with various areas of the company; and Andrea Lazarov, author of one of the many essays in the book.

Presented as a retrospective built from its own archives, the book showcases Camper through the lens of design, architecture and experimentation. It also highlights the mistakes and ideas that were left behind. Each page offers a closer look at the brand's unique approach to creativity, which has established the Spanish company as an international icon.

The final chapter, titled "Beyond", also features projects related to art, education, gastronomy and hospitality. These are areas where the brand has applied its same curiosity for experimentation and creation. Fluxà recalled the FoodBALL project as a prime example during the presentation.

This was one of his first projects at the company: a restaurant based on rice balls. The idea was not financially successful. He explained that each ball cost three euros to make and was sold for one euro. However, such projects are an integral part of the brand's history and identity.

This chapter is just the final part of a journey organised into six sections: roots, processes, products, voices and spaces.

Gloria Rodríguez, who also designed the volume, explained that the team delved into the Camper archive in Inca, reviewing almost every document. Sketches, photographs, graphic materials and other unpublished content helped reconstruct a history that is as interesting for what made it to stores as for what remained in the studio.

The starting point is the Fluxà family's shoemaking tradition, which dates back to 1877 in Mallorca. In 1975, Spain was eagerly demanding novelty in every sense. It was then that Lorenzo Fluxà began experimenting with design and comfort, laying the foundations for what would become Camper.

During the conversation, an inevitable question arose for a brand with five decades of history: how to evolve without losing its recognisable identity. Miguel Fluxà noted that one of the greatest risks is becoming trapped in nostalgia. This response is as relevant now as it would have been in 1975.

Architecture also has its place. The chapter on stores recalls one of Camper's most distinguishing decisions: to design each space differently. The strategy began in the early 2000s and led the company to collaborate with architects such as Shigeru Ban, long before he received the Pritzker Prize. A large part of the brand's magic lies in this ability to anticipate talent.

The book does not focus solely on successes. It revisits projects that were not commercially successful. Viewed in retrospect, these help to better understand a corporate culture where design, curiosity and a desire to be different have coexisted for decades.

“Our history is what it is, and that is how we tell it,” Rodríguez summarised during the presentation. This is perhaps one of the best ways to explain the book's intention. It aims not to construct a perfect story, but to reveal the components that shape it.

For Fluxà, the publication also represents a way to close a chapter and look towards a new era. Camper reaches this turning point amidst significant company changes, having acquired a majority stake in Ancient Greek Sandals and appointed Abraham Ortuño as global creative director following the departure of Achilles Ion Gabriel.

The book is available for 35 euros on the Camper website and at other retailers, including Amazon and La Fábrica, where the presentation was held.