There’s no business like shoe business

Pardon the pun, but the Marikina shoemaker is a shoo-in for the Guinness Book of World Records title for the Biggest Pair of Shoes. Marikina shoes, after all, are renowned the world over for their exceptional quality and durability.

So when the city’s indefatigable Mayor Marides Fernando spearheaded this monumental undertaking, no one doubted that the 10-man team of the Marikina Colossal Footwear Foundation (MCFF) could very well accomplish this Herculean task.

"We really want to put the Marikina shoe industry back on the map," Mayor Marides asserts. Needles to say, such an honor as the city’s inclusion in the Guinness Book of World Records will not only reaffirm Marikina’s foremost position as the country’s Shoe Capital, but also reinvigorate the long-suffering shoe industry.

"The Marikina shoe industry has been besieged with all sorts of problems," Mayor Marides relates. "Aside from the economic crisis that hit the entire Asian region in 1997, the industry also had to contend with competition provided by new shoe exporters like Thailand, China, even Vietnam."In fact, from a booming 2,000-strong industry, it has dwindled to a mere 400.

With their varied of projects, Marikina’s municipal government (aided by its partner in Congress, Representative Del de Guzman) hopes to turn the tide and restore the local shoe industry to its former glory.

"Former First Lady Imelda Marcos brought Marikina shoes to Bloomingdale’s in New York," Mayor Marides relates with pride.

Marikina’s Guinness bid will be unveiled to the public on Oct. 21 as the highlight of the first-ever Sapatero Festival, which will serve "to promote the unique designs, creativity, and quality of Marikina-made footwear."

The "colossal’ footwear will be a size 753 (based on the standard French size) and can be worn by the Statue of Liberty or any giant who stands 125 feet tall. Just to give you an idea: around 30 people can fit inside the shoe.

Made of genuine leather, the shoe will consume 320 sq. feet of leather for the upper, 320 sq. feet of leather for the lining, 80 square feet for the sock lining, 250 kgs. of vegetable tanned leather for the insole, 270 kgs. of vegetable tanned leather for the outsole, and 80 kg. of vegetable tanned leather for the welt.

Because it is a community activity, Marikina’s Guinness project has been deluged with support from different individuals and sectors. "The leather was donated by a Valenzuela tannery," Mayor Marides remarks. "The adhesive was also donated by longtime suppliers."

As such, the project was able to scrimp and limit their budget to P1.2 million. "If not for the generosity of so many people, the budget couldn’ve been a lot higher." The labor of the 10-man Marikina Colossal Footwear Foundation also comes gratis et amore. For the love of Marikina, so to speak.

True to the spirit of bayanihan, MCFF’s 10 different shoe professionals from diverse shoe companies have joined forces for a common goal: to put Marikina and the Philippines back on top of the shoe biz.

They have sacrificed not only the time they could have devoted to their individual businesses, but the time they could have spent with their families. They are pulling out all the stops to make sure Marikina will beat the records currently held by Marty Snortum of El Paso, Texas, and Zahit Okular of Turkey.

The Marikina Colossal Footwear Foundation is composed of Noel Cox, Daniel Cotter, Florinio de Asis, Romel Villareal, Emmanuel Samson, Arthur Rivera, Arman Javier, Norman Arada, Cesar Paz and Architect Ernesto Leano.

They are doing it for the country. As such, Mayor Marides will make sure their efforts will not go unnoticed. After their record-breaking feat is authenticated by Guinness representatives, Marikina’s Wonder Shoes will be displayed in the city’s shoe museum, along with former First Lady Imelda Marcos’s collection, where it could be admired by tourists, local and foreign.

"Because of the leather, the shoes need to be housed in an air-conditioned room," Mayor Marides asserts. "So it will be protected from the elements." For their Guinness bid, the team chose the timeless Wingtips style. "We wanted something that will not go out of fashion," Mayor Marides expounds. "It’s a classic. Years from now, it will still look stylish. You know, my husband (MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando) has been wearing Wingtips forever! For our record-breaking shoes, we want something that will stand the test of time."

First there was the Biggest Tossed Salad in Baguio. Now, there’s a Biggest Pair of Shoes in Marikina. When united, Filipinos can really dream big, achieve great things, and land on the Guinness Book of World Records!

This one for the books: For the hardworking people of Marikina, there’s no biz like the shoe biz!