Shoe designer Marikina gives workshops for local shoemakers

Marikina, known for its rich shoemaking heritage, is facing threats due to declining interest from locals and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic impacting the industry.

“Currently the shoe industry in Marikina is a dying art, most of the artisans are not getting any younger, they are still the same artisans I have been working with since 2011,” Joco Comendador, owner of the Joco Comendador Footwear + Art said in a video interview.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in August 2020, almost 80% of local shoemakers had to stop their activities, while the remaining 20% ​​switched to online platforms, according to Marcelino Teodoro, mayor of Marikina.

“The real challenge is some people’s interest in making shoes. There are so few of us, ten now, that I only have three permanent people making shoes for me, while the rest are on call, and some of them have already passed away,” Mr Comendador said.

In response to the decline in the number of local shoemakers, Joco Comendador started his workshops in 2018 to spark interest in shoemaking among aspiring local artisans.

“I did the workshops because I want people to feel or see… it’s fun to make shoes, it’s great to keep the Marikina tradition alive or the shoe industry alive in the Philippines,” he said.

Joco Comendador has conducted more than thirty workshops in collaboration with other coworking spaces and organizations to preserve the long legacy of shoemaking in Marikina.

“To sustain an industry, you have to share the knowledge, you have to share the interest, you have to share the passion. If I die or if other designers stop what they are doing (shoemaking), the industry will have a long life [who will inherit the shoemaking industry]”, he continued.

Mr Comendador also noted major moves by the government to boost the local shoe industry, including free shoemaking courses in schools, holding shoe design competitions and fairs.

Through these efforts, Mr. Comendador remains optimistic that Marikina will still maintain its status as the “Shoe Capital of the Philippines.”

“Habang mag nakikita pa akong tao na [As long as I can still see people who are] Interested in shoemaking, I can safely say that yes, Marikina can still maintain that it is the shoe capital of the Philippines,” he continued.

Mr. Comendador also encourages aspiring artisans to indulge in their passion for shoemaking and surround themselves with people with the same passion.