I'm not a love of boutiques for womenswear, accessories and children's clothes, as anyone who has…read moreever dragged me shopping can attest. Alla Sarta Ana, is one I can deal with, in large part because it's tiny and just one room. But also because the selection is cute and colorful and the wide array of parei are easy to choose on a whim at just 10 euro.

The Moda Mare boutique is another one of the more affordable places to shop for gifts from he…read moreislands, from little pendants on leather chains to sweet little sundresses. What they are really famous for are making custom sandals in front of your eyes base on an amazingly wide choice of forms, soles, materials (the base is still leather) and decorations. If you in a hurry the hundreds of samples on display are for sale as well. Moda Mare can be found a few yards uphill on the thin road that starts in front of Pizzeria da Claudia.

Last year, a friend from nearby Stromboli showed me this place which makes their own sandals. It is…read moreso cool, with oodles of sandal styles and colors. You can pick out what upper fabric/leather you want and they'll make your sandals for you, on the spot! They also have plenty of ready-made sandals in hand. This year I had enough time to try on a few styles and pick out my favorite. Since they didn't have that style in black, they made my sandals for me (takes less than 30 min), custom fitting them to my feet. Yay! They suggested adding a rubber no-slip sole to the leather bottom, which I did and think was a good idea. The total cost was 90€. My sandals are beautiful, well-made, and extremely comfortable. We'll certainly return next time we are on Panarea!