{"id":4383,"date":"2026-07-26T13:37:36","date_gmt":"2026-07-26T13:37:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/souelasstories.com\/iteration1\/?page_id=4383"},"modified":"2026-07-31T18:19:49","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T18:19:49","slug":"reviving-the-heart-of-the-marikina-shoe-industry","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/souelasstories.com\/iteration1\/reviving-the-heart-of-the-marikina-shoe-industry\/","title":{"rendered":"Reviving the Heart of the Marikina Shoe Industry"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Reviving the Heart of the Marikina Shoemaking Industry<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Written By: Iria Roque<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n

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   Marikina City has long been recognized as the Shoe Capital of the Philippines, celebrated for its skilled craftsmanship and high-quality leather footwear. However, the sector has faced serious challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, competition from imported products, and the declining number of active artisans. Despite these difficulties, various efforts are being made to ensure that Marikina\u2019s shoemaking culture continues to thrive.<\/span><\/p>\n

    A major highlight of these efforts is the Marikina Shoe Festival. While it may look like a simple celebration, the festival actually plays an important role in helping the industry recover. Many local shoemakers run small businesses and do not have the budget for large advertising campaigns. A city-organized event gives them a chance to showcase their products, connect directly with customers, and remind people of the quality of locally made shoes. In a market filled with imported footwear, this kind of support helps rebuild trust and encourage consumers to choose Marikina-made products. More than just a festive gathering, the Shoe Festival shows how public leadership can create real opportunities for local businesses.     <\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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    At the same time, the future of the industry depends on passing down skills to the next generation. Many experienced shoemakers are getting older, and fewer young people are choosing to enter the trade. In the past, skills were usually taught within families or small workshops, but this effort has slowly deteriorated. Today, training workshops and learning programs help fill that gap by giving interested individuals a chance to learn the craft. When local leaders recognize and support these programs, they help ensure that these efforts continue and reach more people. This shows that reviving the industry is not only about selling more shoes, but also about protecting the knowledge and craftsmanship behind them.<\/span><\/p>\n

   A more recent effort to strengthen the industry is the involvement of Marikina Polytechnic College in footwear education and innovation. Through its Footwear Innovation and Technology (FIT) Research Laboratory, students receive hands-on training in footwear design, prototyping, and modern manufacturing technologies while collaborating with industry professionals. The college has also partnered with local shoemakers to provide internships that allow students to experience the entire shoemaking process\u2014from designing and producing shoes to marketing finished products. By combining traditional craftsmanship with modern technology and entrepreneurship, these initiatives encourage more young people to view shoemaking as a viable career while helping preserve and modernize Marikina’s footwear industry.<\/span><\/p>\n

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   The pandemic significantly reduced the number of operational shoemakers in Marikina, with many businesses forced to close. Although some have resumed operations, recovery remains gradual. These realities highlight the importance of sustained support, innovation, and community engagement. By combining leadership initiatives with educational workshops, institutional training, and public celebrations, Marikina continues to take meaningful steps toward safeguarding its shoemaking legacy.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Ultimately, preserving Marikina\u2019s shoemaking culture requires collaboration among government officials, artisans, and consumers. Supporting local products, encouraging skill transfer, and promoting cultural pride are key to ensuring that the city remains true to its identity as the heart of Filipino shoemaking. Through collective effort, the tradition can move forward while honoring its rich past.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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References:<\/p>

BusinessWorld. (2024, July 18). <\/span>Marikina shoe designer conducts workshops for local shoemakers<\/span><\/i>.<\/span> https:\/\/www.bworldonline.com\/bw-launchpad\/2024\/07\/18\/608679\/marikina-shoe-designer-conducts-workshops-for-local-shoemakers\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>

Tribune. (2025, October 22). <\/span>Marcy Teodoro vows to revive Marikina\u2019s iconic shoe industry<\/span><\/i>.<\/span> https:\/\/tribune.net.ph\/2025\/10\/22\/marcy-teodoro-vows-to-revive-marikinas-iconic-shoe-industry<\/span><\/a><\/p>

Department of Science and Technology \u2013 Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development. (2023, March 10). <\/span>DOST, MPC launch new lab to digitalize Marikina’s shoemaking process<\/span><\/i>.<\/span> https:\/\/pcieerd.dost.gov.ph\/st-updates\/dost-mpc-launch-new-lab-to-digitalize-marikinas-shoemaking-process\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>

Department of Science and Technology \u2013 National Capital Region. (2023, March 13). <\/span>New Footwear Innovation and Technology (FIT) Research Laboratory to boost shoe industry in Marikina<\/span><\/i>.<\/span> https:\/\/ncr.dost.gov.ph\/new-footwear-innovation-and-technology-fit-research-laboratory-to-boost-shoe-industry-in-marikina\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>

Philippine Information Agency. (2024, February 26). <\/span>Marikina students get hands-on training on shoemaking<\/span><\/i>.<\/span> https:\/\/pia.gov.ph\/features\/marikina-students-get-hands-on-training-on-shoemaking\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Reviving the Heart of the Marikina Shoemaking Industry Written By: Iria Roque    Marikina City has long been recognized as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"no-sidebar","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"full-width-container","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-4383","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/souelasstories.com\/iteration1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4383","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/souelasstories.com\/iteration1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/souelasstories.com\/iteration1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/souelasstories.com\/iteration1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/souelasstories.com\/iteration1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4383"}],"version-history":[{"count":64,"href":"https:\/\/souelasstories.com\/iteration1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4383\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7046,"href":"https:\/\/souelasstories.com\/iteration1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4383\/revisions\/7046"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/souelasstories.com\/iteration1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4383"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}