A seventies running shape, made the way El Naturalista makes things
The Oroel 5435A takes the low, narrow silhouette of late-seventies running shoes and rebuilds it with the materials El Naturalista has used since the brand started in La Rioja in 1998: suede, recycled textile and a rubber sole with recycled content. The result looks like a vintage trainer and wears like a modern one.
It is for everyday walking, not for training. If you run, this is the shoe you put on afterwards. What it does well is long days on your feet in town, with a sole that grips wet pavement and an insole you can swap for your own.
The rest of the range sits in women's trainers and sneakers, the low-profile styles in low-top trainers, and the latest arrivals in new in.
At a glance
- Why you will like it: a genuine retro shape without the plasticky feel of a fashion copy.
- Ideal for: everyday city wear, travel, long days walking.
- What stands out: the caramel rubber sole and the stitched spiral on the side.
- Buy it if you want: a comfortable trainer made from lower-impact materials.
- Perhaps not for you if: you need a running shoe, or footwear you can put in the machine.
Key details
- Product: El Naturalista Oroel 5435A trainer
- Made for: women
- Main use: lifestyle, city, travel
- Upper: suede and recycled textile
- Sole: rubber with natural and recycled content, cleated tread
- Insole: removable
- Fastening: laces
- Colourways: six
- Sizes: EU 35 to 45, including 39.5 and 41.5
Everything worth knowing
Design and materials
Suede covers the toe and the heel counter, the two places a trainer takes the most abuse. Recycled textile fills the quarters, which keeps the weight down and lets the shoe breathe. The two materials never sit at exactly the same shade, and that slight mismatch is deliberate: it is what stops the shoe looking like a costume version of a vintage runner.
The spiral on the side is stitched, not printed, so it will not peel. The counter carries the year 1998 in gold, the year the brand was founded.
The sole
Rubber, in a caramel tone, made with natural rubber and recycled content. The tread is cleated rather than flat, which matters more than it sounds: a flat vintage-style sole on wet city stone is genuinely slippery, and this one is not. The shoe can be resoled rather than replaced, which is part of why the brand builds them this way.
Comfort
The insole comes out, so orthotics go in without the fit going wrong. The last is a medium width with a slightly narrow toe box, in keeping with the seventies shape. If you usually need a wide fitting, go up a size rather than hoping the textile will give.
Six colourways
Brown is the neutral. Cream-Oliva is the lightest. Forest and Multi Wine are the two with real colour to them. Brow-Black is chocolate with a black toe and heel. And Black, despite the name on the size selector, is not black at all: it is a deep navy with an emerald spiral and khaki suede.
What we think at Calzados Vesga
El Naturalista sits in an awkward middle ground that works in its favour. It is not a technical brand and not a fashion brand, and the shoes last longer than either. The Oroel is the model we point people towards when they want a trainer they can wear with normal clothes and still walk ten kilometres in.
Technical specification
- Product type: women's lace-up trainer
- Upper: suede and recycled textile
- Lining: textile
- Insole: removable
- Sole: rubber, natural and recycled content, cleated
- Fastening: laces
- Heel: low, integrated in the sole unit
- Reference: El Naturalista Oroel 5435A
- Sizes: EU 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 39.5, 40, 41, 41.5, 42, 43, 44, 45
Size guide
True to size. If you are between two, take the larger one, and the same applies if you have a wide foot: the toe box follows a seventies last and is on the narrow side.
Approximate UK conversion: EU 36 is roughly UK 3, EU 37 UK 4, EU 38 UK 5, EU 39 UK 6, EU 40 UK 6.5, EU 41 UK 7, EU 42 UK 8. Treat these as a guide, since conversions vary between makers. Half sizes 39.5 and 41.5 are available, which helps if you have always been stuck between two numbers.
Frequently asked questions
Do these run small?
They are true to size in length, but the toe box is narrow. Between two sizes, take the larger.
Can I run in them?
No. They have the look of a running shoe from the seventies and none of the cushioning of a modern one. They are made for walking and everyday wear.
Can I put them in the washing machine?
No. The suede panels will not survive it. Use a suede brush on the nap and a barely damp cloth on the textile, and let them dry away from any heat source.
What does the recycled sole actually mean?
The sole is made with natural rubber and a proportion of recycled material rather than being entirely virgin synthetic. The shoe is also built to be resoled, which is the part that matters most for how long it lasts.
Are they comfortable all day?
Yes. The removable insole and the cleated rubber sole make them suitable for long days walking in town.
Which colour is the safest choice?
Brown, if you want it to go with everything. Cream-Oliva if you want it lighter. Forest or Multi Wine if you want the shoe to be the thing people notice.
Summary
The El Naturalista Oroel 5435A is a women's retro running trainer in suede and recycled textile, on a caramel rubber sole with a removable insole. Six colourways, EU sizes 35 to 45. It is a lifestyle shoe from a Spanish maker that builds for repair rather than replacement. Calzados Vesga has been selling shoes on the main square of Burgos since the 1970s, and we will answer a sizing question before you order.
If you are after something else
Buying from Calzados Vesga
We are a family shoe shop on the main square of Burgos, in northern Spain, with more than fifty years behind the counter. Every model on the website is one we also sell across the counter, which means someone here has had it in their hands and knows how it fits a wide foot and a narrow one.
Delivery, returns and secure payment
Delivery anywhere in Europe takes 4 to 6 working days. Shipping is charged by destination country and calculated at checkout. Returns from outside Spain are at the customer's expense. Payment is secure, and you can write to us before or after your order with any question about sizing or care.
Is this your trainer?
Yes, if you want a comfortable everyday shoe with a genuine vintage shape, made from lower-impact materials, in a choice of six colours.
Perhaps not, if you need a running shoe, a wide fitting, or something you can throw in the machine.
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