Marikina shoes get a new shine

This article brought back memories of a photo shoot and the experience of writing an article on Marikina a few years ago. I’m not really a shoe person, I only have more than 15 pairs of shoes and slip-ons in my closet

Unfortunately, none of my shoes were made in Marikina. A lot of people still swear by the quality of shoes made in that little remarkable city.

This article from Philippine Daily Inquirer says Marikina shoes are getting a new shine. SikapMo, an association that markets shoes made by members, says sales in 2006 hit P50 million, a steep climb from a low P2 million three years earlier when they first banded together.

Globalization has opened the domestic market to cheap imported shoes, drastically cutting down demand for local shoes. Industry leaders estimate that since the 1990s, 1,500 small shoe producers have ceased operating and over 20,000 workers have lost their jobs. The age-old craftsmanship of Marikina’s “sapateros”–working in their little shops with hand tools and outdated equipment–simply cannot compete.

How did they overcome these?

Design improvements, supply chain management, quality control, product costing, processes and marketing… retooling in this age of globalization is important. Read how they are doing this here.

Snippets of small business lessons:

• Join trade and industry associations
• Adapt to the changing environment
•  Try new ideas in marketing

Marikina Colossal Footwear team claim that this is the world’s biggest pair of shoes, designed for a 37.5-meter (125-foot) giant at a cost of P2 million, at least the biggest when they unveiled it in 2002. Photo credit AFP.

They finished the shoe in 77days and registered in the Guiness Book of records with 5.5 meters long, 2.25 meters wide and 1.83 meters high, has an insole with perimeter measurement of approximately 12 meters, size 753 based on French shoe standard, which made of Genuine leather on the upper, lining welt and outsole. (AFP)

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