Marikina Shoe Museum
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According to former First Lady Imelda Marcos
, whose notorious shoe collection is one
of the inspirations for the construction of the museum: “This museum is making a subject of notoriety into an object
of beauty. More than anything, this museum will symbolize the spirit and culture of the Filipino people.”History
The Shoe Museum, initially called Footwear Museum of Marikina, was constructed in 1998 and opened in 2001 as homage to the city’s title as ‘the Shoe Capital of the Philippines’. This building on its own has an interesting history as it used to be an arsenal during the Spanish times and a detention cell during the American-Filipino War. The Americans
later on converted it into a motor pool but after World War II, it was converted into a rice mill by the Tuason
family.Long before the Spaniards came, Marikina was already making slippers or bakya (wooden clogs). Kapitan Moy Guevarra, through various experiments, paved the way for Marikina to produce finely crafted and durable shoes that would make Marikina shoes well-known throughout the world.
Visiting the Museum
Mrs. Marcos defended this amazing number by saying that most of her shoes were given to her by Marikina shoemakers to show off the fine craftsmanship of Marikina shoes to the world. There are photos displayed in the museum that shows Mrs. Marcos attending social state functions.
Another section contains shoes contributed by other important personalities in the Philippines like movie stars and government officials. Each Philippine President has a pair of shoes on display which are arranged in the chronological order of their term. There are also traditional footwear from other countries and prize-winning entries of the city’s shoe design contests.
A visit to the museum will acquaint visitors on the shoemaking history and process with its life-size dioramas showing the traditional way to make shoes. Shoe lasts that were used as master mold for different shoe styles and various materials like natural animal skin (snake, pig, calf, alligator and sheep) are part of this display. Read short narratives on the history and process of shoemaking. At the ground floor are giant shoes on display including one that is three feet long.
All shoes in the museum are treated with utmost care and most are kept in dust-free and moisture-free glass cabinets to preserve them in perfect condition.
How to Get There
The Shoe Museum is located at the corner of JP Rizal and Mendoza Streets in San Roque, Marikina City, just across Our Lady of the Abandoned Church. Take the bus and get off at Cubao, then take the Cubao-Calumpang jeep at Aurora
Boulevard in Cubao. The jeep will cross the Marikina River and make a right turn on J.P. Rizal Street. The
museum is about one kilometer from that junction and is beside the Otto factory outlet. Taxis will take one directly to
the Shoe Museum from any part of Metro Manila.Visitors Info
The shoe museum is open from Monday to Sunday from 8 AM to 5 PM except during holidays with lunch break at 12 PM to 1 PM. Entrance fee is ₱50 ($1.10) for non-residents.Safety and Travel Tips
The museum tour will take less than an hour. To make your trip to Marikina worthy, it would be a good idea to combine other Marikina attractions such as the Guinness-certified biggest shoe display at the Shoe Gallery of the Riverbanks Mall. The Sentro Pangkultura ng Marikina, former house of Kapitan Moy Guevarra, is Marikina’s center of culture and has a doll museum. Marikina River Park and Our Lady of Abandoned Church are just located near the Shoe Museum as well.
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Author: janblim. Last updated: Nov 27, 2014
Pictures of Marikina Shoe Museum
