TLB Mallorca

We have a wide selection of models from TLB Mallorca available for immediate worldwide dispatch. If a size is sold out notice about this will appear when you select your size. TLB Mallorca is a relatively new brand that now receives a lot of praise for its high quality on materials and making. The shoes are made in the brand’s own factory in Inca on Mallorca, they work with the best tanneries in Europe, full reverse calf for all suede, close-cut waists and a really high level of finishing.

Founder of the TLB brand is Toni Llobera Barceló, who comes from a family of leather craft artisans, and who have worked in the shoe industry for decades, among other things as factory manager at Yanko. Setting up TLB the focus has been to keep a continuously high level of quality, and push the factory to new highs producing shoes that makes a distinct mark in the international shoe industry.

We at Skolyx have worked together with TLB Mallorca to develop the praised range Artista. The aim has been to push the bar for Goodyear welted shoes in the midrange price segment, where we have looked and learned from both some of the absolute high-end RTW shoe brands and had help from bespoke shoemakers in England and Japan.

Why is the brand called TLB Mallorca?

TLB is the initials of the founder, Toni Llobera Barceló, and Mallorca is of course the location of the factory. Toni grew up with a grandfather and father who were both leather craftsmen, so it was pretty much a given which trade he would end up in. He has worked for decades in shoe manufacturing, including several years as factory manager at Yanko, and in 2018 he launched his own brand, which has made a name for itself in the quality shoe sphere in a very short time. His own factory is located in the town of Inca in Mallorca, where every step of the shoemaking process is done, from the sewing of the uppers to the finishing.

How are TLB Mallorca sized?

The shoes are considered relatively "true to size", with most wearing the same size as other welted shoes from brands such as Yanko, Skolyx, Crockett & Jones and Carmina, for example. The standard width is F, other widths can be ordered as Made to Order. Fit is relatively normal, with a slightly more snug fit around the heel than some other brands. More info on sizing is found on the product pages.

Is there a difference in fit between TLB Mallorca's different lasts?

All lasts in TLB Mallorca's mainline have exactly the same base last, with only the toe shape differing. This means that the fit is virtually identical between the different lasts. The customer feedback on the fit has been very good, therefore the lasts for the top range Artista were also developed based on these, where the base last has enhanced shapes but with basically the same dimensions as the standard line. In the Artista lasts, the base last is exactly the same, just with a different toe shape.

What is the construction of TLB Mallorca shoes?

TLB's shoes are all Goodyear welted, with closed channels on the leather soles and very high level of finish, and with leather board heel stiffeners for the standard line and real leather stiffeners in Artista line shoes. The leathers come exclusively from top European and American tanneries, such as Annonay, Du Puy, Ilcea, Charles F. Stead, Horween, Rocado and others.

What is special about TLB Mallorca Artista?

The Artista line has both material choices, construction details and finishing details that are unique or very unusual in the price range we find these shoes in.
- Extremely narrow, bevelled waist, which marks the shape of the shoe and provides extra good arch support. Made with sole stitching all the way back to the heel, so the waist is not just glued or sewn as it usually the case when it's very narrow on less expensive shoes.
- The rounding of the waist continues in under the heel, which is otherwise almost only found on completely handmade bespoke shoes. This creates a stronger waist and a more natural look.
- Close-cut heels that follow the natural lines of the shoe.
- Heel stiffeners made of real leather (not leather board or celastic / plastic), which conforms to the feet in the best way and is a living material that can be reshaped if needed.
- Sole stitching with high stitch density of 8 spi (stitches per inch), along with a balanced fudging (decoration on top of the welt / sole edge).
- Very finely sanded sole and heel edges, even the waist edge is finely sanded, which is very rare. The final sanding is done by hand. It not only looks nice, it makes it much easier to polish them and keep them in good condition.

Does the fit differ between the different lasts?

All TLB Mallorca Artista lasts have the same base last, which means they are identical up to the toe part, where the toe shape differs between the different lasts. So Goya, Picasso, Velazquez, Dali and Van Gogh have more or less exactly the same fit, just a different shape of the toe.

Are there any independent reviews of TLB Mallorca Artista you can read?

There are many people who have reviewed shoes from TLB Mallorca Artista, both on different websites and on Youtube. Below are links to some reviews from well-known and reputable sites/channels, if you search on Google or Youtube you will find even more:
Permanent Style - review article
The Shoe Snob Blog - review article (written before TLB started to advertise on the blog)
The Elegant Oxford - Youtube review
Trenton & Heath - Youtube review and disassembly
Vladimir Riché - Youtube review

Is it possible to get belts in the same leather as TLB Mallorca's shoes?

Absolutely, we have belts in most of the leather types that we have shoes in from TLB Mallorca's Artista range, you can find these here. The belts are also made in Mallorca, by Toni Llobera Barceló's father who is an old leather craftsman. He's actually retired, but for his son's company he still sets up and runs the machines out in his garage.