Syvel's, Escolta

syvel's escolta
Originally uploaded by mocortez61

"masarap mamili ng gamit dyan... sapatos, damit... lahat-lahat... madalas kaming pumunta nun sa fairmart, fair center, plaza fair, isetann at sm sa sta. cruz na carriedo na ngayon at ang sikat na syvels sa escolta..' - Rodem

"my fond memories of escolta consisted of me and my girlfriends walking (yes walking) from mendiola to escolta to buy shoes from syvels. along the way, we take several stops to browse at shops along recto and avenida, but we always ended up buying at syvel's."
- Photo Cache

Gandara (Padilla) - Ongpin intersection

Gandara (Padilla) - Ongpin intersection
Originally uploaded by wastefulspace

Gandara in Binondo used to be the "shoe capital" of pre-war Philippines. The Marikina shoe industry was just starting then and most of their finished products were bought and traded here. Chinese-owned Shoe and shoe-supply stores used to line both sides of the street and people flocked there to get themselves a bargain pair of shoes, for shoes were quite expensive at the premier shopping spot at that time which was Escolta.

Gandara - the place remains, but the shoe-shops have long been gone. Now, very few of us from the younger generation know this place's storied past as far as the country's shoe-history is concerned.

ELPO Building

The building is now home to a bank, and ELPO sneakers have long been eclipsed by global shoe-brands. Ask your parents or grandparents what rubber shoes they wore when they were young and they'd more likely say ELPO.

ELPO Building (2005)
Originally uploaded by mrbinondo