GIVE SHOES ON CHRISTMAS DAY! Made by pioneer shoe manufacturer of the Philippines, Frank H. Hale (b. Aug. 30, 1872) who was known as “Mang Isko” by millions of Filipinos. They gave him this nickname in appreciation of his contribution to improve the Filipino by replacing the chinelas with a pair of sturdy, stylish, and affordable shoes. ESCO Shoes were available at the big ESCO SHOE STORE in Escolta. At the peak of Mr. Hale’s business, he employed an all-Filipino workforce that made ESCO Shoes a popular household brand. ESCO Shoes were exported abroad, and Hale became a major contractor of military shoes, as well. By the beginning of World War II, Hale’s shoe plant was the largest shoe manufacturing company in Asia. But it would also augur the end of his business as the Japanese interned him prisoner in UST, confiscated his facilities, and closed down his factories. Hale rebuilt his ESCO business after the birth of the new Republic, scaled it down, but it was never the same again.
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