The 'botas de vilão' are one of the most outstanding elements of this Autonomous Region's crafts production. They represent an extremely relevant historical role, since they were created in a context where there was a fraction of the Madeiran population, mainly from the island's hinterland, that, due to its lack of resources, was forced to walk barefoot.
Traditionally, this footwear was produced in two different ways: the 'flat boot' and the 'country boot'. The first ones were made of goatskin, and the sole was made of cowhide. There was also a slight variation according to gender: women's boots had a narrow strip of red leather on the shaft, and men's boots were unadorned.