Posh Pocket Shoes: A New Step in a Familiar Marikina Shoemaking Story
A personal look at Posh Pocket Shoes, discovered at the opening of Shoe Avenue at Opus Mall, and a rediscovery of Marikina shoemaking through style, comfort, and local craftsmanship.
FASHIONOP-ED
PJ Valenciano
10/7/20265 min read
Marikina shoes were part of my growing-up years, even before buying local became a conscious choice and Filipino craftsmanship became something we deliberately sought out, talked about, and celebrated. The Marikina Shoe Expo in Cubao was one of those places I had known since I was young, and our high school field trips even included visits that brought us closer to the city's shoemaking industry.
The connection became more personal when one of my high school friends turned out to be part of a family of shoemakers. Through their family business, I had the chance to go beyond choosing shoes from a display and actually play with my own ideas. My friend allowed me to customize some of my own shoe designs, from imagining what I wanted to seeing those ideas translated into pairs I could actually wear.
I probably did not fully appreciate then what went into making them. A finished pair passed through many hands and many decisions, from the choice of materials and the measurements to the cutting, construction, stitching, and finishing.
As a teenager, it all seemed quite ordinary, yet I was already experiencing an industry shaped by skill, knowledge passed from one generation to another, and the hands of people who could turn an idea into something made to be worn.
Meeting Marikina Again
On September 24, I attended the opening of Shoe Avenue at Spatio in Opus Mall, an initiative that brings several independent Marikina footwear brands together in a contemporary retail space.
I was there particularly for Posh Pocket Shoes, although I have to admit that I wasn't entirely familiar with the brand before attending the event. In retrospect, that made the experience more interesting because I arrived without any preconceived ideas about what I was supposed to like.
As I looked through their shoes, what immediately appealed to me was how dainty many of the designs were while still looking practical and comfortable. At this point in my life, long gone are the days when I would willingly spend hours walking around in heels.
I LOVE FLATS. Especially ones that can still make an outfit look put together without making my feet pay for it several hours later.
The padded insoles in many of Posh Pocket’s designs were another detail I appreciated.
These days, I find myself drawn to shoes that still feel feminine and polished, but are comfortable enough to take me through the day.
Later, I found myself browsing the Posh Pocket Shoes website, going through the collection with the same instinct I used to have when thinking about shoes I wanted made: noticing shapes, imagining how I would wear them, and paying attention to the details that made one pair feel more like me than another.
I kept returning to the Annelle in Espresso Suede Leather, with its tassels and softer silhouette, and the Sunday Shoe in Pebbled Black, with the familiar character of a classic lace-up Oxford. I was equally drawn to the Penny Loafer 2.0 in Black Leather and the original Penny Loafer in Black.
I was definitely drawn to their understated quality: feminine without trying too hard, polished without feeling overly formal, and easy to imagine as part of the way I actually dress.
My relationship with shoes has changed through the years, too. The heels I once wore have mostly given way to flats, and these days I notice different things. I pay attention to how a shoe feels on my feet, whether I can walk comfortably in it, the texture of the leather, the shape, and whether it is something I can reach for on an ordinary day rather than wait for an occasion to wear.
Maybe that is part of why Posh Pocket Shoes is now on my shoe brand lists! The shoes felt suited to where I am now, while still carrying the details and craftsmanship that have always made a beautifully made pair of shoes special to me.
Browsing the collection also brought back an old desire to have something made specifically for me. I am now scouting the possibility of a customized pair, which brings me unexpectedly close to where this story began.
Years after experimenting with my own shoe designs through my high school friend's family business, I find myself once again imagining a pair and wondering what a Marikina shoemaker might make of it today.
Beyond “Support Local”
We often hear the phrase “support local,” and while I believe deeply in its intention, I also think Filipino craftsmanship deserves something more than being purchased out of obligation.
A locally made shoe should be something we want to buy because we genuinely like it. It should appeal to our personal style, feel good on our feet, and hold its own beside the many international brands competing for our attention.
Discovering Posh Pocket felt less about the label of being locally made and more about encountering shoes that appealed to me on their own terms. Knowing they were handcrafted by shoemakers in Marikina added another dimension to something I already enjoyed, connecting the designs I was seeing with a craft that had been part of my own experience years ago.
Shoe Avenue places this continuing story in a new setting. Marikina's place in Philippine shoemaking history is well established, while the brands gathered at Opus Mall offer a glimpse of how its craft continues to take shape today. In the same space, established traditions sit alongside new ideas, different aesthetics, and the changing ways people choose and wear shoes.
A Familiar Story Takes a New Step
Attending the Shoe Avenue opening unexpectedly connected different points in my own relationship with Marikina shoes. There was the student who went on field trips to the Marikina Shoe Expo, the teenager whose friend came from a shoemaking family, the younger version of myself who had shoes customized, and now the woman who walked into Opus Mall and discovered a Marikina brand she wanted to explore further.
Maybe that is also one way we can support an industry with such a long history. We can remember where it came from without expecting it to stay there.
I grew up knowing Marikina shoes as part of everyday life. Meeting them again through Posh Pocket reminded me that the story of Marikina shoemaking is not one that belongs only to memory. It continues in the hands of its makers, in new designs, and in every pair that gives another generation a reason to wear Marikina on their own terms.
For those who have not looked at Marikina-made shoes in a while, Shoe Avenue offers a good reason to do so. Visit the space, discover the different brands, and try on a pair for yourself. You can also browse the Posh Pocket Shoes official website and see which designs catch your attention. Supporting Filipino craftsmanship becomes far more meaningful when it begins with finding something locally made that you REALLY want to wear.