Darmanin Footwear

If you are walking down Republic Street in Valletta and want a pair of shoes that suits the evening ahead, Darmanin Footwear is one of the longest established names on the island to try. The business began as a small shoe shop in the capital in 1923 and is still run by the same family, now in its fourth generation. Today it is a chain of five shops across Malta, with a clear focus on fashion footwear for women, backed by bags and accessories in the mid price range.

Valletta is a compact, walkable city, so a visit fits easily around a day of sightseeing. The shop sits on the main shopping street, a short stroll from the city gate, and you will find it listed on VisitMalta.co.uk among our shoe shops in Malta. Our Valletta guide explains how the city is laid out if you are planning a first visit.

A shoe shop with a century of history

Darmanin Footwear marked its hundredth anniversary in 2023, which makes it one of the oldest retail names in Maltese high streets. The firm belongs to Darmanin Group, a family retailer that employs roughly 70 people across seven outlets and also runs the sports chain Teamsport and a second fashion brand, Gallarija Darmanin.

The group describes itself as a household name and puts its longevity down to staying close to what customers want and keeping up with fashion. Its own archive shows how far back the story goes, with black and white photographs of the early shop, a ribbon-cutting at an opening and a vintage family dinner, some of which appear in the gallery on this page.

For a visitor, that history translates into something practical: staff who know the stock, a brand with a local following and shops placed where Maltese shoppers actually go. If you enjoy the story behind a place, the Knights of Malta history guide is a good companion read for the rest of your time in the capital.

What you can buy

The Darmanin Footwear shops mainly stock women's products, with a men's shoe section in most of them. Alongside shoes you will find bags and accessories, all pitched at the medium price range rather than the luxury end. The buyers take care over selection, and most labels are sourced from Italy and Spain.

The brands named for the shops include Xti, Refresh, Gioseppo, IMAC, Miriade and Menbur. The newer flagship at The Point also carries designer names such as Camper, Love Moschino, DKNY, Versace Jeans Couture, John Richmond and Chiara Ferragni. Stock changes with the season, so treat that list as a guide to the style of the shop and ask through the form if you are looking for a particular brand.

Many UK visitors pack lightly and then discover that cobbled streets and hot summer pavements demand better footwear than they brought. A comfortable pair of sandals or flats bought here is a sensible fix, and our Malta weather guide helps you judge what the season will be like underfoot. If you are still deciding when to travel, the flights to Malta page shows the options from UK airports.

Where to find the shops

Five outlets trade under the Darmanin Footwear name. Two are in Valletta, on Republic Street and Zachary Street, one is on Tower Road in Sliema, and the flagship is at The Point shopping mall. This page is about the Republic Street shop, listed at Valletta VLT 1111.

Republic Street is the spine of the capital, running from the city gate towards Fort St Elmo, and most visitors pass along it more than once. It makes a natural stop between St John's Co-Cathedral and the Upper Barrakka Gardens, both a short walk away. If you are basing yourself in the city, our guide to hotels in Valletta and the wider where to stay in Malta page cover accommodation, and the Sliema hotels page is useful if you want the Tower Road shop close by.

The wider Darmanin Group

Darmanin Group also operates Teamsport, which sells technical sports footwear, clothing and accessories from outlets in Iklin and Birkirkara. Teamsport offers gait analysis at its Iklin store: a shoe performance assessment and a more detailed gait analysis are both offered, separately or in one session, and each is paid for at the till before the test. This is a separate service from the fashion shops and is mentioned here only so you know the group offers it. If you plan to run while in Malta, our things to do in Malta page has ideas for where to be active, and the best beaches in Malta are popular for a walk at the end of the day.

The group also runs a loyalty scheme through the Darmanin Plus app, which the group promotes across its brands. For anything about stock, opening times or the app, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to the business.