Store-in-store targets to revive Marikina shoes one step at a time

Gen X who grew up wearing school shoes made in Marikina will remember how sturdy and seemingly indestructible they were despite the paces students put them through daily. For decades, Marikina Shoe Expo located in Cubao was the place their parents took them for a new pair at the start of the school year. That space has since been converted into a warren of small stores, restaurants and bars collectively known as Cubao Expo (Cubao X). On Sept. 24, a new venue inside Spatio at Opus Mall was launched with the intention of reintroducing shoppers to Marikina-made footwear. Shoe Avenue is a partnership of Spatio with Zapateria and features a curated mix of independent Filipino footwear brands. “We wanted to revive the glory days of Marikina’s shoe industry. We’re working closely with Unyx Sta. Ana of Zapateria on the brands to be featured at Shoe Avenue,” Martin de Leon, deputy general manager of Spatio told The Manila Times. At the moment, Shoe Avenue occupies a sizable corner of the open-floor setup at Spatio. Unlike other department stores, Spatio features local independent brands ranging from bags and apparel to footwear and novelty items. De Leon said that as a fifth-generation member of Zapateria, Sta. Ana already...