Gen X who grew up wearing school shoes made in Marikina will remember how sturdy and seemingly indestructible they were despite the paces students put them through daily. For decades, Marikina Shoe Expo located in Cubao was the place their parents took them for a new pair at the start of the school year. That space has since been converted into a warren of small stores, restaurants and bars collectively known as Cubao Expo (Cubao X). On Sept. 24, a new venue inside Spatio at Opus Mall was launched with the intention of reintroducing shoppers to Marikina-made footwear. Shoe Avenue is a partnership of Spatio with Zapateria and features a curated mix of independent Filipino footwear brands. “We wanted to revive the glory days of Marikina’s shoe industry. We’re working closely with Unyx Sta. Ana of Zapateria on the brands to be featured at Shoe Avenue,” Martin de Leon, deputy general manager of Spatio told The Manila Times. At the moment, Shoe Avenue occupies a sizable corner of the open-floor setup at Spatio. Unlike other department stores, Spatio features local independent brands ranging from bags and apparel to footwear and novelty items. De Leon said that as a fifth-generation member of Zapateria, Sta. Ana already had an idea which Marikina-made footwear brands to tap and could deliver. “I worked with her on the mix but she had a hand in coming up with the best assortment for the launch. There were several things to consider such as the capacity of a brand to produce since some of them are relatively small,” de Leon said. The eight brands now available in store range from tiny Velcro sneakers for pint-sized clients from Wumwum to easy-to-slip-on flats for women from Posh Pocket and formal men’s shoes from Bucroe. Aside from Zapateria which anchors the space, the other brands include Alunsinag, Hayo, Bida Loca and Charis. “Shoe Avenue is our way of honoring what came before us, drawing inspiration from what continues to be made today, and envisioning what Philippine footwear can still become,” Sta. Ana said in a statement. “Together with Spatio, we’re creating a platform where these stories can be experienced by more people.” Jelly for your feet Fun footwear brand Melissa launched two collections of colorful footwear including a new jelly set that pays tribute to the brand’s legacy as the jelly shoe pioneer, and its fall-winter 2026 collection set, Delirium. Since launching its Aranha sandal in 1979, Melissa has transformed the classic fisherman’s sandal into a favorite fashion staple. The new Jelly Collection reworks this legacy with contemporary silhouettes. Each piece is crafted using the brand’s proprietary Melflex, a flexible cruelty-free and 100 percent material. The year-end collection Delirium, meanwhile, is an attempt to push the envelope on where the brand’s signature jelly material can go next. Among the standout styles are the Melissa Aranha 79 II, a revival of one of the brand’s most beloved classics. Other styles include slides, Mary Janes and T-strap sandals now available in store and online.