For the longest time, people from all walks of life have seen Marikina as a shoe haven.
Since the 19th century, Marikina has been a center for excellent shoemaking. Following a number of setbacks throughout the years, the craft is poised for sustained success.
How it started
The history of Marikina began in 1887, when Laureano "Kapitan Moy" Guevarra analyzed the shoemaking process using an imported pair he had bought in Manila. He then figured out the perfect engineering to create durable shoes.
The neighborhood quickly picked up the required abilities, and houses began to host shoemaking seminars.
Soon, shoe shops filled Marikina’s streets.
What it takes
The process of creating handmade shoes involves rigorous craftsmanship. Steps include pattern-making, cutting, material shaping, and gluing. If done correctly, shoemakers proceed with stitching, sun-drying, quality control, and packaging.
Over 500 shoemaking workshops were formerly registered with the city government. The figure increased to almost 3,000 when non-formal operations were taken into account.
Because of the remarkable quality of Marikina's shoes, shops have dotted the town's main thoroughfares and have grown to include the busy regions of Manila and Quezon City.
The city gained the moniker of "Shoe Capital of the Philippines" in the 1950s and attracted a large number of customers, some of whom were exporters.
Marikina Shoe Museum
Thanks to the rise of the shoe business in the city, Marikina established its very own Shoe Museum. The museum houses a variety of shoes owned by well-known figures, including senators, mayors, ambassadors, and former presidents of the Philippines.
The city takes pride in its many tourist attractions, including Kapitan Moy, a cultural and historical landmark, and the ancestral home of Don Laureano Guevara, the man who founded the Philippine shoe industry.
It also features traditional footwear from around the world and submissions from prior shoe design competitions. It has even become the home of the largest pair of shoes in the world, as recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records.
Additionally, it displays some of former First Lady Imelda Marcos’s shoe collections. The former first lady, who once possessed a collection of 3,000 pairs of shoes, many of which were manufactured in Marikina, was a crucial figure in Marikina’s growth.
She made it a point to wear Marikina footwear on her international travels to highlight the city as a hub for the Philippine footwear industry.
Reviving the industry
By August 2020, around 80% of the industry had to cease operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while the remaining 20% adapted to the emergence of online sales.
However, the House of Representatives established a technical working group (TWG) in 2022 to solidify suggested measures in revitalizing the footwear sector in Marikina,
There is also the House Bill 491, or the Philippine Footwear, Leather Goods, and Tannery Industries Development Act of 2022, which promotes and supports the growth of the shoe industry.
The bill mandates that government agencies purchase their leather goods, footwear, and tannery products from local producers.
