The Future of Philippine Shoe Design

I feel that the future of Philippine Shoe Design should have its foundation secured onto these three different concepts:

Ecology: Love Your Environment

Tenorio Manila allows flaws in its leather, realizing that the world’s natural resources are limited and that the supply should be, as much as possible, shared equitably. Therefore, any animal, whether maimed, stricken, or nurtured with love, possesses a similar essence with any other creature. Leather from any origin deserves the same respect and integrity when finally laid onto any pair. A scar or a bite, or any similar flaw, are only markings of the creature’s story. These marks do not affect the strength and durability of the leather. This realization now outlines Tenorio Manila’s understanding of what makes a particular material good, and another, better.

Ethnology: Love Local to Go Global

I think that the world is already saturated with mixed-up ideas and a mélange of substance from everywhere, so that anything that is sincere, in pure-form, or is historically-intact turns out to be more valuable.

We then must embrace our culture and history and try to grow within them. We used to be the best shoemakers in the continent and we can be that again. The change can happen starting with the consumers by increasing the demand for Philippine-made shoes. On the other hand, improvement can happen if Filipino designers and manufacturers strive to produce better products.

Phenomenology: Go Personal to Love Global

To believe in human achievement through small personal victories is a truth I've learned (maybe again as an adult this time, in the last few years). If you pay attention very well to how you think and how you act, you will realize that within you are the same patterns of want, desire, and hunger that are present when commodities and goods are traded on a larger global level.

The Golden Age of Philippine-made designer shoes is not about quantity but quality and design. Our local manufacturers and industries should maybe welcome the designer. Shoe design means actually making wearable pairs and not just drafting fantastic illustrations. And to make real pairs, one must have the raw materials, equipment, machinery and skilled craftsmen. These components while readily found and available in our existing companies are not necessarily accessible to designers. When I was starting, the hardest part was to figure out who could make my shoes for me. And when I found some shoemakers and companies, the next obstacles was finding a way to get them to want to make for me. The third challenge involves re-training a set of craftsmen to create high-end shoes again. Decades and decades of making cheap pairs aimed to be competitive with cheaper imports from all over Asia has made it more difficult for these artisans to make very good shoes again. 

The golden age of Philippine-made shoes is not about quantity but quality and design. The future of the Philippine shoe design industry is not only borne out of volumes of leather, or put together in man-hours in factories, or is written out in policies by government, but is first formed by the dreams and imagination of the hardworking creative.