Yes, you are seeing the humble huarache everywhere latimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from latimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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In Mexican stores across Los Angeles, huaraches are a common sight. Wander down Olvera Street in downtown L.A. or visit Boyle Heights, and you’ll see the cherished sandals in all their hues, styles and sizes dangling by strings or lining shelves at shoe stands. In these neighborhoods, particularly before the coronavirus pandemic shifted the city’s retail scene, you’d find generations of huarache makers.
Maria Silva is one of them. For the last 23 years, she sold huaraches and other handcrafted Mexican footwear in her shop Mas Sport inside Boyle Heights’ El Mercado de Los Angeles.
Silva’s grandparents honed the craft in their hometown, Sahuayo, Mexico, where her mother also learned to make huaraches. When Silva and her siblings were older, they too got involved in the business.