Stepping Through Time: The Strength of Marikina's Shoe Industry

For a long time, Marikina has been known for its shoe craftsmanship and quality. Examining the data from 1991 to 2025, you can see a story of high peaks, challenging periods, and a push for revival in the present day. This is an analytical look at the manufacturing scene in the "Shoe Capital."

The Golden Age and the Big Drop

• In the early 1990s, Marikina's shoe industry was a huge success. The numbers show a big jump in the number of registered manufacturers during this time:

• The Peak in 1994: The industry reached its peak in 1994, when there were 513 registered manufacturers.

• A Decade of Stability: From the middle to the end of the 1990s, the city always had between 400 and 500 active manufacturers.

• The Turning Point: When the year 2000 came around, the numbers started to drop steadily. The number of manufacturers fell to a record low of 139 by 2008.

The Modern Landscape (2021–2025)

After a time of relative stagnation in the 2010s, the industry faced new problems in the early 2020s. But in the last few years, the community has been working hard to keep its identity.

Registered Manufacturers Over the Last 5 Years:

2021: 103

2022: 124  

2023: 130  

2024: 115  

2025: 108 

As of 2025, there are 108 manufacturers in the city, and the industry is still a major source of income for 1,727 workers.

Where the Industry's Heart Beats

The industry doesn't cover the whole city; it does best in certain "shoe hubs." Based on the data from 2025, these are the barangays with the most manufacturers:

Sto. Niño: 26 Manufacturers (The city's current leader)

Concepcion I: 23 Manufacturers

San Roque: 20 Manufacturers

Parang: 11 Manufacturers

Interestingly, while San Roque has fewer manufacturers than Sto. Niño, it is a massive employment hub, with some of its registered footwear businesses contributing significantly to the city's total workforce.

Incentivizing the Future: Ordinance No. 110

The city government passed Ordinance No. 110 (Series of 2021) to stop the number of artisans from going down and to get new ones to join. This policy gives local shoe and leather goods makers a lot of tax breaks:

For New Businesses (Starting in 2022): * 1st Year: 100% off business taxes

Second Year: 75% off business taxes

Third Year: 60% off business taxes

For businesses that are already up and running, a permanent 50% tax break to help them stay in business.

Last Thoughts

The data shows that Marikina's shoe industry is still strong, even though it is smaller than it was at its peak in 1994. With targeted tax breaks and many skilled workers employed in Marikina shoe manufacturing companies, the city keeps moving forward, and "Made in Marikina" will be a source of pride for years to come.

Reference: STATISTICAL REPORT REGISTERED - FOOTWEAR (1991-2025) - Marikina City Official Website

Marikina and Antipolo: Neighboring Cities with Unique Appeal

Visitors can have different experiences in the Philippines' Marikina City and Antipolo City, two nearby cities. Despite being close by geographically, they are distinguished from one another by their distinct cultures, tourist destinations, and scenic views.

one of the many shoe factories in Marikina City

Known as the "Shoe Capital of the Philippines," Marikina City has a long history of producing shoes. Numerous shoe factories and stores can be found around the city, offering a vast selection of fashionable and reasonably priced footwear to tourists. With parks, riverbanks, and nature reserves, Marikina has natural beauty beyond its industrial side. A well-liked location for leisurely walks is the Marikina River Park.

Known as the "Pilgrimage capital of the Philippines" for the International Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage (popularly known as the Antipolo Cathedral), Antipolo City is a spiritual retreat for a large number of Filipinos. All year long, the church, which is positioned on a hilltop with a view of the city, draws countless devotees. In addition to its religious importance, Antipolo is a well-liked vacation spot for naturalists. The city is the ideal getaway from the bustle of daily life, surrounded by verdant forests, waterfalls, and hiking paths.

restaurants in Antipolo City with picturesque views

Exploring the Adjacent Attractions:

Discover the history of shoemaking in the Philippines at the Marikina Shoe Museum and be amazed by the skilled work of regional craftspeople. 

Foodies will be delighted to find out that there are many unique restaurants and food offerings in Marikina city.

Antipolo Cathedral: Marvel at the exquisite architecture of this historic church as you visit.

There is something for everyone in Marikina and Antipolo, whether your interests are in history, culture, or the outdoors. Given their close proximity, it is easy to visit both cities in a single trip, offering a unique and memorable experience.

Happy 18th Anniversary Shoe Museum!

The Museo ng Sapatos (Shoe Museum) in Marikina just celebrated its 18th anniversary last February 16, 2019.

A series of programs and activities such as live shoemaking exhibitions by Zapateria, a history of the museum and performances by the Marikina Dance Guild and Marikina Rondalla Band were lined up in celebration of this landmark.

Representative of the 1st district of Marikina City Bayani Fernando established the Shoe Museum on February 16, 2001 during his tenure as the Marikina City mayor to highlight Marikina's shoe industry including the shoemakers, workers, artisans and manufacturers that contribute to the city's title being the Shoe Capital of the Philippines. Hon. Fernando attended the Shoe Museum's anniversary and announced plans to file a bill in Congress that would require the national government, government agencies and other government units to buy shoes from the Philippines only, when using government funds.

To date, the Shoe Museum houses more than a thousand pairs of shoes from the country’s famous personalities, dignitaries, celebrities and former officials including presidents, senators, cabinet secretaries, diplomats and Marikina mayors. A section of the museum also houses 800 pairs of shoes from former First Lady Imelda Marcos.

The Shoe Museum is also located along J.P. Rizal St. in Brgy. Sta. Elena, a few steps away from the historic Kapitay Moy building, where the first pair of shoes in Marikina were created 1887 through the initiative of Don Laureano "Kapitan Moy" Guevara.

Marikina Shoe Festival 2006 (ThrowbackThursday)

The Marikina Sapatos (Shoe) Festival was initially launched in 2002 under the previous Marikina Mayor Lourdes Fernando. It's aim has been to showcase the Marikina shoe industry with a series of events such as parades, bazaars and shows around the city.

A Marikina Shoe Festival Caravan goes out of the Shoe Capital to visit neighboring cities promoting shoes proudly made from Marikina.

Here is a shoe parade of giant shoes that went around the city in 2006.

Visit the following pages for updates on the Marikina Sapatos Festival

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sapatosfestival2015/home
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sapatosfestival2015/
Website: http://marikina.gov.ph/sapatosfestival/
Official Site: http://sapatosfestival.com/

Marikina Sapatos Festival 2015

The Marikina Sapatos Festival officially starts on October 26, 2015 and will run until December 30, 2015 at Freedom Park in front of Marikina City Hall.   The grand opening will be held at Plaza de los Alcaldez at 8am.

This year marks the 10th Marikina Sapatos Festival.  In 2005, a City Council ordinance renamed the Sapatero Festival to what it is known today as the Sapatos Festival, with its objective of revitalizing the city's shoe industry and give recognition to Marikina-made shoes.

This year, the Sapatos Festival has also expanded to include Marikina-made bags.
Aside from the Mega Shoes and Bags Bazaar at Freedom Park, which will be held every Monday to Thursday from 8am - 6pm, every Friday - Saturday from 8am - 10pm and every Sunday from 8am - 7pm, weekend fairs will also include activities such as Zumba (every Saturday at 7am), Banchetto and food fairs (every Fri & Sat. from 8am - 10pm), cooking demos (every Friday 6pm - 9pm), and movie nights/variety shows (every Saturday & Sunday from 9am - 10pm).

An evolution of shoes exhibit is located at the Marikina City Hall quadrangle.

Other events during the Marikina Sapatos Festival are:

• Philippine Footwear Leathergoods Trade Show - November 6 - 9 (4th floor Legislative Building) (8am - 5pm)
• Tour de Takong (Stiletto Race) - November 14 at Freedom Park (3pm)
• Time Capsule - December 4 at Kapitan Moy (7am)
• Grand Parade Festival Queen, Street Dance Competition, Float Parade - December 5 at Marikina Sports Center (3pm)
• Danza de Takong (Stiletto Street Dance) - November 27 - 28 (Elimination); December 12 (Finals) at Freedom Park (6pm)

For more details and to support the Sapatos Festival on social media, follow

• @SapatosFest2015 on Twitter
• @SapatosFestival2015 on Instagram
• Marikina Sapatos Festival 2015 on Facebook
• Official hashtags #SapatosFestival2015 & #iWearMarikina

M is for Marikina. M is for Malaking Sapatos

Marikina City is well known for its shoe industry.  And because of this, several fixtures around the city are created in the form of shoes.  Along the Riverbanks road leading to C5, you'll find this huge M with a high heel on top.  Just before this, are two huge high heels that can be climbed into.

Photo: Shoe Expo At Freedom Park

Several tents have been put up at Freedom Park in front of Marikina City Hall for Marikina shoe retailers to showcase their shoes.  

Probest Yearly Christmas Sale

Yearly, Probest, the huge pink building along Katipunan Street in Brgy Concepcion Dos, uses its front parking lot to place their items up for sale. They sell shoes, slippers and shirts at factory prices. They open in the late afternoon til evenings.

Several people within the neighborhood usually just walk to the store. Car owners also stop to drop by since it's along the main road connecting Sumulong Highway and SSS Village/Marikina Heights.

If you have some last minute Christmas shopping to do, you can check them out. They're located across the corner of Tangerine St. and Katipunan St. along the side of Immaculate Concepcion Hospital.

Slippers and Shirts Bodega Sale

There is an ongoing bodega sale at Verbano Travel and Tours office. The bodega sale is located at the corner of Falcon St. and Flamingo St. in San Roque and near the Marikina Catholic High School and car wash. On sale are various t-shirts ranging from P50. to P200. and a wide range of slippers and shoes. They are open as early as 9am.

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Marikina Shoe Museum

It's just fitting that Marikina City, being popularly known as the shoe capital of the Philippines , houses the Shoe Museum.   Where else could you find an annual Sapatos Festival (Sept. 9), a fully motorized running high heel, giant shoes in the middle of the river and home of the world's largest shoes (Marikina Riverbanks) than in Marikina !

Located along JP. Rizal St. and just across the Our Lady of the Abandoned Church is the Shoe Museum.   The museum holds shoes of several famous people including a pair of shoes from each president of the Philippines in chronological order.   Other shoes note worthing are those of celebrities, ambassadors, political figures and even traditional shoes from several countries.   On the 2nd floor, you'll read history about shoe making including life-size mannequins depicting the art of shoemaking.  You'll also find some unusual shoe sizes like one being 3 feet long.   

The main bulk of shoes on display was contribued by former first lady of the Philippines Imelda Marcos... 749 pairs to be exact.   You'll see all different kinds of shoes she owned for different occasions.  Shoes both made in Marikina and made abroad with different brands, styles, shapes and colors are all on display.   A huge portrait of Imelda is also hanging above serving as a mini-shrine for her shoe collection below.

Entrace to the Museum is P20. for Marikina residents and P40. for non-residents.   Unfortunately, picture and video taking inside the museum is not allowed.  The museum is open from Mondays through Saturdays from 9am till 5pm.

Update: We've been informed that the new entrance fee is P50.
Update as of April 25, 2013: The Shoe Museum is open everyday Monday to Sunday from 8am to 5pm except holidays

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